Post grad
by metalzippy99
Summary: Kim is in College, Drakken on the lecture circuit leaving Shego alone to reflect on her life. Where does she go from here, and how does it affect those around her? Set after Graduation. Rated M for language, maybe other reasons in later chapters. Kigo
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Kim Possible, Disney does.

Authors Note: Originally posted on kpslashhaven as Feelings.

* * *

"Zis isn't over fraulein!" Dr Dementor's frustrated scream echoed around the ruined base as he activated his personal escape pod, blasting his way free through the shattered roof. "Immer mit den Frauen." His accent growing thicker as once again his careful plans fell apart around him.

Cool green eyes watched the rapidly diminishing pod shrink to a speck and then disappear. With an exasperated sigh, the young woman put the mad scientist out of her mind and turned to survey the ruined base in which she stood.

"That's the third one this week. Dr D is gonna freak." Shaking her head, Shego watched as Dementor's abandoned guards, all Henchco mercenaries, immediately surrendered as their boss had once again breached his contract with the corporation.

This was becoming an irritating habit as Dementor pursued his vendetta against Dr Drakken's organisation. Twice previously he had hit old Drakken lairs, attacking the skeleton staff that maintained them and ransacking them of any research materials that had been left behind. It was mere fortune that this time, he had met his match in a young green eyed woman who was a skilled warrior who could fire plasma from her hands.

Overseeing the disarmament of Dementor's ex guards they were escorted from the lair and set free. Shego certainly didn't want to incur Jack Hench's wrath by exacting revenge on Henchco personnel. Once they were no longer under contract with a client, they came under the protection of their consultancy and anyone who crossed Henchco soon learned why this was a bad idea.

Directing the henchmen to begin cleaning up the place, Shego retreated to her room and flung herself on the bed. Clasping her hands behind her head, she stared at the ceiling and let out a huge sigh.

"I am SO bored." The thought ran through her head and she closed her eyes in frustration. Ever since she had inadvertently saved the world from Warmonga, Shego's life had taken a direction she did not like. OK, so initially the adulation and razzmatazz had been seductive, but she soon began to resent the intrusion and constant media spotlight. She also missed the scheming and plotting involved in working for a supervillain. The destruction caused by the invasion had curtailed pretty much all such activity, There really wasn't anything worth stealing, and who wanted to rule the world when they would immediately get stuck with the job of cleaning up the mess?

So, Monkey Fist was off contemplating some monkey's butt or something, while Motor Ed and DNAmy were securely locked up. Only Dementor seemed to be up to anything, and that appeared to be taking out his jealousy on Drakken's organisation.

Dr D. himself, of course was out of the country. He just couldn't get enough of his new found fame, and was currently in England having been asked to be "a VIP guest at the Chelsea Flower Show." The actual wording had been "Exhibit" but when Shego initially doctored the invite as a joke, Dr Drakken had been so obnoxious and pompous that she hadn't bothered to own up. The image of him stuck in a flower pot being watered overnight by an automatic sprinkler generated a short burst of distainful laughter.

"Serves him right, the stuck up moron." Shego said, although she did feel a slight twinge of guilt. "Still, that TV appearance should make up for it." Shego didn't know what Gardener's Question Time was, but it was with the BBC so it had to be something important. Her guilt assuaged, not that it took much, Shego had never been one to regret past decisions, her thoughts drifted back to the sheer boredom of her current existance.

"I've got to do something, before I go out of my mind." Rising from her prone position, the villainess began to pace. Her initial thought was rapidly dismissed, but it lurked in the back of her mind as she totally failed to come up with any alternative. Reaching into a pouch on her belt, she pulled out a cellphone and looked at the screen.

"I'd have to be insane." she said as she rapidly replaced it in its holder, but two minutes later she was holding it again, looking at the text message she had received a day earlier.

With an angry snarl, she deleted the message, and threw the phone onto the bed, but it was too late, it stuck in the back of her mind where it stayed for the rest of the day. Something else was bothering her too. A queasy feeling in the back of her mind and pit of her stomach. Not accustomed to exploring her feelings, it took a while before she could identify the emotion. She was lonely, and she didn't like it.


	2. Ch 1 Home Sweet Home 1

chapter 1 - Home Sweet Home?

The plane's approach was textbook perfect as it hit the extended runway at 120 mph, flaps down to reduce speed in a frantic race against time as the brakes engaged in a desperate battle to stop the aircraft before it tipped over the edge. Only the hook extending from the rear fuselage catching the arresting wire prevented disaster, stealing momentum until the jet was taxiing under the pilot's control as it approached the main hangar elevator bay marked out in contrasting yellow and black bands. Killing the engine, the pilot engaged the canopy controls, removing her helmet and shaking free her long black tresses from their confinement. Dressed in a black and green jumpsuit, colours that matched the plane's paintjob, Shego threw out a kitbag, swung herself out of the cockpit and climbed down to stand on the roof of Go Tower.

Looking out over the bay as the wind whipped her hair around her face, a scene she had watched countless times before in her previous life, a wry smile touched her lips as she remembered seeking solitude in the one place where no-one would bother her. Taking a deep breath of the cold air, she exhaulted in the smell and feel of the fresh sea air. During her short childhood, this was the one place she had felt able to be herself, safe from the pressures of her other life, safe from the expectations of others and the strain of acting a role she had never felt comfortable in. Reaching out with her hand, she touched the smooth metallic surface of the plane she had arrived in, as if for reassurance, smiling at the feel of her pride and joy. With one last look at Go City bay, Shego turned, slung her bag over a shoulder and walked towards the doorway where her brother stood waiting.

As she approached, he stopped leaning nonchalantly against the doorway and began to show signs of nervousness as his dangerous sister closed the distance between them, rubbing his hands together, then forcing them to relax by his side. Stopping a few feet away, each sibling eyed the other, not suspiciously, but with some apprehension as to how they would be received.

"Welcome home Sis." Mego broke the short silence, causing her eyes to blink with the inoccuous greeting, as if she somehow expected something more defensive. "It's good to see you." he continued.

"Cut the crap Mego." Shego replied. "We both know this isn't going to go well."

"Yeah!" Shego's younger brother looked down at his feet, shuffling them as if embarrassed. "About that..." He suddenly looked straight into her eyes, stood up a little straighter, as if bracing himself. "I haven't actually told them you were coming."

Shego rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah." she breathed "This is really going to go well."

"And what bizarre logic caused you to take that approach?" she asked. Her voice had a soft accent, but an undertone of menace that caused her brother to swallow nervously. He decided to take refuge in humour.

"I couldn't risk Hego writing a speech." he quipped. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked away, then glanced back to see how this was received.

Shego snorted with amusement despite herself. She knew this was a bad idea, and couldn't believe that she had actually come. It certainly didn't make any kind of sense why she would subject herself to her disfunctional family voluntarily, but here she was, looking for something that she didn't quite understand. Something that recently had led her to question the direction her life was taking, to the extent that even the prospect of seeing Hego almost seemed worth it if any answers were to be had.

"Dumbass!"

Mego breathed a sigh of relief. As greetings went, this was one of the gentler ones he had ever got from his older sister. Stepping away from the doorway, he ushered her into the lift. One arm reaching around her shoulder until a warning glance caused him to swiftly retract it as she passed him.

"So where is the Dumb Ox?" she asked. Turning to face the door, she watched her brother punch the button to take them down to the living quarters of Go Tower.

"Cooking." Mego replied as the door silently slid shut, and the elevator began to descend.

"Cooking?" The surprise evident in the young woman's voice caused Mego to grin.

"Yeah!" he replied with a laugh. "He's actually surprisingly good at it. I think working in Bueno Nacho is rubbing off on him."

Shego gave no reply, but closed her eyes and rubbed her hand over her brow.

"God!" she thought. "What the fuck am I doing here?"

She looked back at Mego and took a breath, just as the bell rang to announce their arrival. Closing her mouth, Shego pushed herself up from the wall of the elevator and raised one eyebrow as the doors began to open.

Mego gave a wry smile and stepped out into the main living area. As Shego followed him, he called out

"Hey Bro! Someone here to see you." Stepping to one side, he let Shego walk towards the doorway leading to the kitchen, dropping her bag on the floor as she went. She only got about half way before someone appeared coming the other way.

Holding a spatula, and wearing a whitish apron, Shego got her first view of the eldest member of Team Go.

Time seemed to stand still as the two siblings looked at each other. Eventually, Hego looked at the cooking utensil in his hand and deliberately put it down on a nearby table. Taking a step towards his prodigal sister, he stopped as she instinctively took a step back. Pain flashed briefly in his eyes, unseen by the other members of the family, as he heaved a great sigh.

"I'm glad you came." he gently spoke. "It has been a long time waiting for you to come home."

"And why do you think that is?" Shego snapped, causing a frown to briefly appear on Hego's brow. Opening his mouth to make some kind of retort, he was forstalled by Mego swiftly walking up behind him and placing a calming hand on his shoulder. With a visible effort, Hego got himself back under control and nodded.

"You're right." he said. "I cannot expect you to just walk back into our family as if nothing happened." Looking directly into her emerald eyes, he swallowed and said "I'm sorry sis."

Once again, silence fell, as Shego was rocked back by the one comment she had never expected to hear. Twice she opened her mouth to say something, and twice she closed it again as words failed her. Quite what she would have eventually said was by the by, however, as from behind her came the cry "Shego!" and she was suddenly engulfed by what felt like ten people suddenly grabbing every limb that could be reached.

"Gah!" she cried as the Wego twins latched themselves around her waist in a frenzied hug, launching themselves into her with such force that she staggered back and fell to the ground.

"It's good to see you sis!" they cried as she suddenly found herself buried under about ten younger brothers, all the more disconcerting as she actually only had two.

"Alright, Alright." Hego waded into the scrum, picking up two replica's in each hand and lifting them off his spluttering sister. Shego found herself looking into two ecstatic faces as she finally managed to sit up, just in time to see Hego, who had been holding four copies of the twins above her head, suddenly overbalance, as they disappeared.

"We saw you ..."

"...on the cover of Time" The twins chorused, as Shego pushed them away with an exasperated growl.

"Cassie said you were in Vogue." One of them added,

"and Cosmo." the other one continued.

"Yeah. So?" Shego stood up and made a display of brushing herself down, Her hair falling over her face where it had escaped the band previously arranged so carefully. "Wait. Who's Cassie?"

"His girlfriend." Mego explained, prompting a double take from his sister.

"You mean the dweeb actually got a girlfriend?" The disbelief evident from the tone of her voice.

"Not just him." Mego rolled his eyes. "They both found one."

"But they're only... shit, they're teenagers already?"

"We are in the room you know" the twins protested, ignored by their older siblings.

Hego, having picked himself up from the floor, excused himself as he returned to the kitchen, leaving the younger members of team Go to disperse into the living area. Settling herself into a bucket chair, Shego curled her legs up as she watched her younger brothers lounge on various sofas, the youngest two still sporting huge smiles as they looked back at her.

"Stop smiling." Shego snapped. "It's creeping me out." Causing the smiles to expand into grins.

It almost felt like old times, she thought, except for the unspoken tension that still simmered below the surface. And yet, there were differences she began to notice. Mego seemed less of an attention seeker for one thing. More content to listen to others before spouting his own opinions. The twins, while still being an uncontrollable force of nature, were no longer the young boys looking to their big sister to make everything right after their parents died. They exuded the confidence of the young adult, convinced of their own immortality and the knowledge that they were the future. Just looking at them made her feel old.

Finally there was Hego. He was the biggest conundrum, a shadow of his former pompous self. He had actually apologised? Shego still couldn't believe that he had actually said what he'd said. Previously the very definition of self righteousness, he seemed hunched, an aura of self doubt surrounded him, as he avoided the limelight, prefering others to be the center of attention.

And then there was herself. Ex hero, ex villain, she wasn't sure of what she was any more so why should she expect to understand the others? Six years had passed since she left Team Go and everyone had moved on since then. Experiences had shaped the others that she had no knowledge of, and just the thought of that saddened her. It was a feeling she was not used to, and she didn't like it.

"Everything used to be much simpler." she thought. Hego was a scared 17 year old, Developing an inflated sense of self importance, to hide from the awesome responsiblity of caring for his younger brothers and sister after their parents died. Mego was the annoying brat on the cusp of adolescence. Unable to look after himself but resenting his older brother and sister for not being his parents. And then there were the twins. Of all of them, they had had it both hardest and easiest. Hardest because they didn't understand what had happened or why their mother and father were no longer around, easiest because they were young and weren't aware of the fear felt by their older siblings of suddenly being alone in the world.

Finally, there was the black sheep of the family. She had never really fit into the world, let alone her family. Fourteen was no age for a girl to suddenly become a surrogate mother to two scared six-year olds. Puberty was difficult enough without having to soothe the fears of her youngest brothers, step around the tender sensibilities of Mego and stroke the ego of the new head of the family. Not that she had ever been very good at the last part she acknowledged with a mental laugh. She had always known that she was the brains of the group, and hadn't seen the need to hide that fact from Hego. If she was honest, she used to rub his face in it.

"So!" Mego broke the short silence. "A full pardon for yourself and your boss. I bet you never saw that coming."

"Ha!" Shego snorted of amusement. "I only went to rescue ... Dr D, and I end up saving the world. What are the odds?" She eyed her younger brothers suspiciously to see if they had noticed her hesitation, but they seemed more interested in hearing her story. "Anyway, it's only in the US" she continued. "I hear Global Justice are still trying to serve warrants against me."

Mego looked uncomfortable at this reminder of his sisters chequered career, and decided to change the subject. "So how is Dr Drakken anyway. You were welcome to invite him as well."

"Don't go there brother." The warning tone in Shego's voice cut through the conversation.

"It's just with the awards ceremony and all..."

"Yeah, I know what you saw, and it's not what you're thinking. OK?"

"So you're just friends then."

"He's my employer. That's all. I'm not sure if he is even that any more. He's too busy doing the lecture circuit, soaking up the adoration."

The small group lapsed into an uncomfortable silence until Hego announced that dinner was ready. Expecting a mess of dodgy mexican dishes, Shego was pleasantly surprised by the spread laid out on the table before her. For the first time since her arrival, the underlying tensions between the siblings evaporated as baser instincts took over. Mealtimes had always been a chaotic free-for-all in the Go family, despite Hego's protestations, and as usual the situation deteriorated into a dog eat dog melee scrapping for the choicest meats and vegetables. Inevitably the Wego twins resorted to generating duplicates of themselves, which led Mego and Shego to join forces as Hego watched his carefully prepared table transform itself into a mess of scattered dishes and discarded crockery.

Once the initial scramble was over, The meal settled down to a more sedate pace, an uncomfortable silence being broken when Mego turned to his sister.

"So, any chance of seeing you on Oprah?" he teased.

"Yeah! 'Cos that kind of exposure is exactly what every master thief needs in their life." Shego's sarcasm cut through the room, causing one of the Wego twins to chuckle softly.

"Anyway" Shego continued. "I've had enough problems with papparazzi already, they don't need any more encouraging."

"I doubt that will be a problem in the future." Hego interrupted, his voice heavy with disapproval. "I understand it took 7 hours of surgery to remove his telephoto lens."

Shego smirked at the memory. "Serves him right for following me on my vacation. I don't like to be disturbed."

Even Hego couldn't hold back a faint smile at that one. "I think he got the message. He certainly won't be sitting in any bushes for a while."

"He won't be sitting anywhere for a while." Shego retorted, extracting winces of sympathetic pain from all of her brothers.

The family settled down to eating once more, the Wego twins devouring food like it was going out of fashion, while the older siblings picked at their meal, the underlying tension affecting their appetite. Pushing away her half finished meal, Shego stood up. "Look, this is pretty awkward for all of us I know" she said. "I think I'm just going to take a bath and go to bed."

Her view alternated between Hego and Mego as she spoke, looking to see who was going to take the lead. All her past preconceptions appeared to be in a state of flux at the moment, only the twins acting anything like their old selves. In the end it was Hego who spoke, although his demeanour did nothing to dispel the confusion in her mind.

"Your old room is just how you left it." he said quietly.

Nodding, she turned and walked out of the room, picking up her bag as she left, watched in silence by her four brothers. When she finally left their sight, Mego expelled a large sigh of relief. "Well that went better than expected." he stated. Hego simply shook his head, picked up his plate and began to clear the table.

Walking down the corridor to her old room, Shego felt a sense of apprehension settle over her. She was returning to the scene of a life she had left behind nearly seven years ago, and was not sure of her reasons for returning. Not that she had any intention of becoming a hero again, but the reconnection with her family after all these years was something that felt right, although she didn't know why. Then again, she hadn't felt right for a while now. Something had changed in the past few months inside her, and it appeared that she was not the only one.

Dismissing her pensive mood with a shrug of her shoulders, she placed her hand on a door she had not seen for many years, and disabled the lock by activating her GO glow. The door swung open to reveal the room of a teenager. Slowly entering, she let her eyes linger on the old BB King and Aretha Franklin posters on the walls, the bookshelves holding various fashion magazines, a John Paul Gautier biography, numerous text books on child psychology, and finally an old desk on which still stood an overhead lamp, a couple of Law books and a misshapen lump of grey metal.

Running her hands gently over the desk surface, it was obvious that someone had cleaned in here recently. Probably the Wego's she reasoned. They tended to take on the daily chores of the place as it was so much quicker for them to do it. Her ponderings stopped however, when her fingers brushed over the metal object, memory rushing back with such force that she was forced to swallow a lump in her throat as emotion swept over her.

Go City 10 years ago "Got you, you bastard." The young girl's voice rang with triumph as she managed to grab the running man by a trailing arm. Swiftly exerting all her enhanced strength she swung him round, driving him into an alley wall.

All the air was expelled from his lungs as he reeled back, his nose a bloody mess from the impact.

"I'll teach you that no means no." the anger in her voice was almost tangible.

"No please!" the entreaty from the middle aged man seemed to anger the young teen even more.

"Isn't that what they said to you?" she sneered. "I bet you just stopped and let them go, didn't you."

The man let out a whimper and then a scream as a comet-enhanced fist slammed into his body

"Oh wait, no you didn't. You raped them instead." The snarl from the girl's lips cut through the pain causing the man to shrink back as his bladder relieved itself.

"Not so much fun now is it fucker!" the fist was raised a second time, ready for rough justice to be served.

"FREEZE." the shout cut through the air, coupled with the sound of a pistol being cocked, caused Shego to lower her arm slowly and turn to face the newcomer.

"Put the man down and lie on the floor slowly". The cop cautiously moved to a more optimum position, his Smith and Wesson trained directly on her torso.

"Do you know what this guy has done?" Shego's voice rose in pitch through disbelief and righteous anger. "He raped three women in the past six months."

"I don't care bitch." came the reply. "All I know is that no vigilante is operating in my precinct. Now lie down before I put you down. Permanently."

Officer Truart's finger gently stroked the trigger, tense for any sudden moves by his opponent. He had heard of what she was capable of, and was ready for anything she could pull.

Suddenly his vision was blocked by a purple blur, appearing from nowhere. He felt his extended arm knocked up, moving the gun away from the green clad young girl, and his hand, and the firearm it was holding was engulfed in a fist so strong, he could feel the bones in his wrist protest at the treatment they were being given.

He watched helplessly as a large man in a blue jumpsuit pulled the gun out of his grasp, and gasped in amazement as he watched it be crushed into a mis-shapen lump of indiscriminate metal.

"We really don't appreciate you treating our sister like that." The young man's voice betrayed his youth ...

A sad smile touched Shego's lips as she remembered her first run in with the law. Life had been simpler then, before politics and ambition had changed everything. She'd kept the crushed gun as a paperweight.

Throwing her holdall by the side of the bed, and feeling the emotional strain of meeting her family socially after so many years she swiftly undressed and stepped into the ensuite bathroom to run a scorchingly hot bath.

Silently stepping into the water, she let the heat engulf her as she felt the tension ease from her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she revelled in the soft caressing feel of water engulfing her body, and slowly let the cares and worries of the past few days dissipate.

The next few days were a strange experience. Hego and Mego spent much of the time working, and the twins were at school, leaving Shego plenty of time to reacquaint herself with her old home. Memories returned that had been long forgotten, both good and bad but none affected the young woman more than discovering an old scrapbook, filled with pictures of two young girls, on the cusp of womanhood, living life to the full and damn the world.

One had a sultry beauty, evident even in the early teen years, long black hair and a pixie face with mischief dancing in her eyes, the other, a redhead, slightly older and just as stunning, with the willowy frame of the model she was to become. The book showed a history of joint experiences and shared troubles, even when the pictures changed as the first girl's skin tone turned a pale green, and the look in her eyes turned to concealed pain and worry. Shego's fingers gently brushed the picture of the two girls sitting on a wall, heads close together as if sharing a secret. Mego had always had a way with a camera. A single tear appeared in one eye, swiftly blinked away as one word escaped black lips "Megan.." Resolutely she shut the book, refusing to relive the less than happy memories that were contained in the latter half of the tome.

Inevitably, however, life goes on, and in the case of Team Go, this meant trouble. The family had just settled down for breakfast, they had quickly learned not to wait for Shego before they started, when the main communication screen sprang to life, showing the haggard face of a man with the cares of office resting on his shoulders.

"Ah Team Go." His voice croaked slightly and he cleared his throat self-consciously. "It appears that once again you are needed in this fine city's hour of need."

Of all the cities in this area of America, Go city had suffered least from the destruction of the Lowardians. This was mainly due to the efforts of the resident superheros, who had managed to contain the war machines and actually destroy a few, before Shego's well timed destruction of the control ship had rendered the rest inert.

"No problem Mayor." It was Mego who responded, taking control of the situation. "Who is it this time, Avarius again?"

"No, No. He is still safely behind bars. I bought him a new mirror yesterday, which he seems to enjoy." The mayor laughed at his own joke, while the twins rolled their eyes in contempt.

"It's the Minertaur" the mayor continued. "He is downtown, threatening to undermine the First City Bank."

"Minertaur?" The new voice dripped with amused disbelief as the entire room turned to see Shego standing in the doorway in a dark green dressing gown. "Let me guess, he has some kind of digging machine, and wears a helmet with horns on to justify the pathetic name."

"Oh, you know him then?" One of the Wegos asked.

"Nah, I just remembered what sad losers actually lived in this town. God they need to get a clue."

All through this exchange the face on the screen had glared at the newcomer. "I certainly didn't expect to see you here Shego." The mayor's brow creased in a disapproving frown. "Aren't you a fugative, wanted in 37 states? I am surprised to see such law abiding citizens associating with known felons."

"HEY!" The twins chimed in unison, outraged at the slur on their family, but Shego simply waved a hand towards them, making them sit down.

"My sister has been given a presidential pardon, as I am sure you are aware!" Hego's voice held a sharp tone of disapproval. "After her recent actions she is welcome here at any time."

Shego's eyebrow raised coupled with an amused smirk as her older brother defended the family honour. "Still a pompous prick at heart." she thought. It was good to know some things never changed.

"We'll be right there." Mego interrupted before his sister could reply. "Come on guy's we've got work to do."

The Wego twins turned to look at their sister, but she just scoffed. "Don't even think about it" she said. "I aint no hero."

Putting an arm over each shoulder, Mego steered the young boys out towards the lift to the main hangar. Hego hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he too followed his brothers out of the room. Shaking her head, Shego settled down at the recently vacated table, and checked the pot to see if there was any coffee left.

Two hours later, found her standing in the hanger, watching the multi-coloured Go jet engage it's vertical landing system. Her professional eye couldn't help but notice the odd flaw in technique as the plane settled on it's undercarriage, but even she conceded that it was an adequate landing.

The sight that met her as Team Go disembarked, however, drove all thoughts of flying out of her mind. First off was one of the Wego twins, closely followed by the other, supported by Mego who was holding a lint pad against his younger brother's eye.

"What the hell happened to you?" Shego's voice echoed in the large enclosed space. Moving quickly, she pushed Mego out of the way, and tilting back her injured brothers head, removed the pad to see how bad it was.

"Ow, gerroff." the Wego's complaints were ignored as she peered into his eye, gauging the extent of his injuries, checking to see if she could see the pupil dilating.

"Come with me." was her only reply, and when he initially baulked, she grabbed him by the ear and frogmarched him to the infirmary. "What the hell is the matter with you?" she demanded, her voice harsh as she suppressed the worry she felt in her heart. "Don't you know when to duck?"

What really frightened her was that the Wego's of all Team Go were actually the most resistant to damage. Any threat could be minimised by generating multiple copies of themselves, resulting in any damage to one clone being largely repaired once they remerged. For her brother to still display a severe cut across the eye meant the damage had been extensive, and probably fatal to a normal human.

By the time she was satisfied the wound was clean, shock had begun to set in and she had to concentrate on stopping her hand from shaking as she opened the door to leave the room. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she turned towards the gymnasium, knowing that she needed to work off the adrenalin that was being pushed through her bloodstream by the stress of seeing her little brother hurt.

Twenty minutes later, Shego had worked up a good sweat, going through an old Kata and punchbag routine. A noise behind her caused her to turn, just in time to see Hego enter the room.

"Are you OK?" he asked. Her concern for her brothers had impressed him although he supposed he shouldn't really be surprised. The twins had always been Shego's weak spot, it appeared that some things never changed.

"What the fuck happened!" Shego's snarl jerked him from his reverie, just in time to see his sister grab him by the neck. "They're just kids. They shouldn't be exposed to this kind of danger."

"They're fifteen Shego." Hego replied. "A year older than you were when we first started."

Pointing out the facts just seemed to irritate her more. "That's irrelevant." Her voice deepened as her anger grew. "They are just the distraction, they shouldn't be getting in harm's way. Where the fuck were you?"

The accusation hung in the air, and Hego's demeanour changed, becoming more like his old self as his anger grew in return, knocking her hand away as easily as swatting a fly.

"The moron's digging machine was out of control, I was stopping it from ploughing into the gas main." Hego's voice actually dropped in volume as he fought for control over his emotions.

"I'm the blocker sis, it's what I do, remember. Mego is the distraction and the third member does the take down. The more appropriate question is, if you care so much, WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU!"

"Don't even think of going there Hego." Shego struggled for control as she battled with her own fury, plasma flaring briefly as her fists clenched in anger. "You know damn well why I left. I made my choice and you have NO right to judge me."

Plasma flared again, this time in a steady flame as she glared at her brother, but the effect her words had on his demeanour was electric. All the vigour drained out of him, and his shoulders drooped as he folded in upon himself. "You're right." he said as he turned away, his voice melancholy and subdued. "I have no right to judge anyone."

His retreat was stopped, however, by a green flaming fist slamming into the door as he tried to open it. Recoiling in shock his vision was filled with the snarling face of his furious sister. "What the hell is the matter with you?" Her voice raised in suppressed rage. Nothing was making sense to her now but she was determined to get to the bottom of what was making her doofus of a brother act so wierd.

"I'm in no position to judge anyone." His reply was muted, his posture hunched.

"It never stopped you before. What's changed?"

"I've never been evil before. That's what's changed." His voice was had a petulant edge, as if it should have been obvious what he meant.

"What? When?" The puzzlement was obvious in Shego's tone. "Wait. You're talking about Electronique?" The disbelief now evident as a range of emotions flashed across her face. First confusion, swiftly followed by understanding and finally incredulity.

"You can't seriously be talking about the attitudinator! Wait, who am I talking to, of course you can." Exasperation was now the dominant feeling as she finally understood why her brother was acting so strangely. "You've been beating yourself up over something you had no control? You're an even bigger idiot than I thought."  
"She brought out an evil side of me that should not exist." Even with a sulky tone, Hego couldn't seem to stop coming across as a pompous ass.  
"You're a man Hego, not mother fucking Theresa, of course you've got an evil side, you just don't act on it." Shego's voice dropped to a more gentle tone. "You can't blame yourself for what you did. It's the choices you make that decide if you are good or evil."  
Stepping back, to allow the big man to leave, Shego watched her brother reach out and open the door. Turning, he looked at her, and in a quiet voice asked "And what about your choices Shego? Taking over the world or saving it. It wasn't your fault that Megan died but you have to take responsiblity for your reaction, just as much as we should credit you for saving the world from aliens."  
Hego stepped out of the room, and as the door shut quietly behind him, Shego found that she had no reply.  
That night, while lying in bed, she couldn't get Hego's throw away comment out of her mind. She knew the choices she had made with regards to the Lorwardians but she couldn't reconcile them with her own feelings. She finally acknowledged something she had been suppressing for some time now. Hego wasn't the only one who had changed. Mego obviously was different, and she could finally admit that she was different too.  
Lying awake, her mind worked overtime, as she ran through her emotions in her head. Something had insinuated itself into her psyche that had changed her outlook on life. She was forced to admit that coming to see her brothers had been a manifestation of that change, and that other decisions she had made had likewise been influenced in some subtle way.  
After about an hour of reflection, she finally recognised what it was that was bothering her and she didn't like it. She cared. Something she had not done for many years and something she had sworn never to do again. It was a sleepless night as she tossed and turned trying to deny to herself the position she was in. It was a relief when the call from Drakken came, and with a sense of relief, she packed her bag and flew off into the night.  



	3. Ch 2 Home Sweet Home 2

Home Sweet Home!

If there was one thing in the world she was sure about, it was that Kim Possible loved university. The upheaval of leaving home, separation from her parents and friends, and even the pain of leaving her boyfriend all paled into insignificance with the feeling of freedom she found in college life.

Not just the relief of escaping the petty jealousy of Bonnie Rockweller, although that was an immediate improvement as she acknowledged to Ron the first time she called him, but also the release of the pressure of having to be the best. Sure, she was famous, but in the hotbed atmosphere of the lecture hall, it was the intellectual discourse and logical thought process that mattered, not who was the big fish in a small pond, and she found the anonymity refreshing. Not that she was any slouch in the academic disciplines, but she wasn't exceptional, and the acceptance of this fact allowed her to relish the feeling of equality amongst her peers.

Another difference was the acceptance by others of peoples differences. Although Kim had never noticed before, she soon realised that her highschool years had been rather prejudicial. An Us and Them outlook on life exacerbated by her position in the Cheerleading squad where people were judged not by personality but rather by their perceived position in an unspoken hierarchy.

The social melting pot of university swept this away, as long running friendships and neighbourhood acquaintances were exchanged for new roommates and a more eclectic society where differences were accepted and free expression was encouraged. All in all, Kim Possible found this enlightening.

Her position was massively helped by the complete lack of world threatening crises requiring her intervention. The Kimmunicator, once a constant presence in her life, had been relegated to a video phone for talking to Ron and the occasional conversation with Wade if she needed any assistance with the computing side of her course. Her free time instead was spent studying, making new friends, and generally revelling in the relative lack of pressure. She had even been to a few parties, although she avoided some of the more outrageous venues. Seeing her hallmates bilious green complexions and piteous whining the next day made her glad she didn't drink.

Best of all, however, was the attention she received, not for being a teen superhero, but the genuine interest in her as a person. She even relished the odd flirtation, although she made sure everyone knew she already had a steady boyfriend. All through highschool, her extra-curricular activities had left her somewhat isolated from the mainstream social hierarchy. Even as head cheerleader, she hadn't had the level of male attention experienced by Bonnie and the others, her reputation tended to scare away any potential suitors. Her relationship with Josh had been more of a case of her chasing him, while her current boyfriend was her best friend since highschool. It just seemed something that happened, without the frisson of courtship. The only time she had ever felt desired in that way was with Eric, and he turned out to be a synthodrone. That was an episode that still rankled, because despite what she had told Ron at the time, Eric was the best kisser she had ever met.

Coming home for the holidays, therefore, was a bigger adjustment than she had expected. Returning to people who knew her, and the attendant expectations that came with that, made her feel edgy even though she was looking forward to seeing Ron and her family. As she walked out of the airport, she took a deep breath and stepped forward into the sunshine, feeling the weight of the world settle once more onto her shoulders.

"KP!" The call rang out over the concourse, and Kim turned to see a lanky blond young man waving frantically, while trying not to spill a Dr Pepper held in his right hand. Pushing her trolley over to meet him, she was engulfed in a hug, that rapidly turned into a somewhat overenthusiastic kiss.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable about the public display of affection, she pulled back after a couple of seconds, but the sight of her best friend made her smile, and she couldn't resist teasing him

"So is that a naked mole rat in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?" The somewhat suggestive grin on her face flustered the young man, and a blush spread out over his cheeks.

"Heh, heh." his laugh was nervous as if he hadn't expected quite such a response from his girlfriend. College life had obviously had an effect on her, and he felt sad that he had missed out on the experiences she had been having. At that moment, he felt a stirring in his pocket as a small pink hairless rodent chose that time to wake up.

"Hey Rufus." Kim's enthusiasm seemed to break through the naked molerat's lethargy, and after a huge yawn for such a small creature, his face broke into a toothy grin.

"Come on KP." Ron picked up her suitcase and carried it over to a battered Buick Skylark that had obviously seen better days. "We'd better get you back to your parents, before I start getting paged. I think your Dad's been missing you quite a bit."

"Great!" was the first thought in Kim's head at this news. "I won't be allowed out of the house for a week." Suddenly, the thought of returning to family life seemed almost claustrophobic, and she had to focus on her breathing for a while until the near panic attack had passed. "Get a grip girl." she thought as she slid into the passenger seat, her own thoughts preoccupying her so much that she didn't pay much attention to the fact that Ron seemed in a hurry to get away. Slinging her luggage into the back seat, he quickly started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

The journey back to Middleton was uneventful, if a bit quiet, Kim stared out of the window as they drove down the freeway, looking out over the once familiar scenery, somewhat changed now after the damage meted out by the Lowardian war machines and Drakken's foliage.

"I see the rebuilding is going well." Kim's voice broke the silence.

"Yeah, it was fairly localised around Middleton, and most of that has been cleared up already."

Ron snuck a quick look at his girlfriend and placed a hand on her left shoulder. "It's great to have you back." Kim just smiled and laid her head on his hand, that one touch bringing back all the feelings and memories from the past thirteen years, confirming that despite everything, she was glad to be home.

"So, have you decided what college you are going to?" It was an issue she had been battling with for the past four months. As far as she was concerned, Ron needed to move on from High School and make some career decisions with his life. After all, the devil may care attitude was cute in a teenager, but adulthood was another matter altogether.

"I am so there KP." Ron's confidence shone through as he beamed a grin at his lifelong friend. "You are looking at the newest line chef for Alessandro Cardini's latest restaurant, providing the best Mexican food this side of the Rio Grande!"

The look of astonishment on his girlfriend's face made his smile grow even wider. Oh yeah, he was young, talented and ambitious, no way was he going to stifle that creativity by sitting in a classroom for another three years.

Kim let him talk, explaining how he had won over the Michelin starred master with his quick improvisation and culinary skill. She was happy that he had found his place in the world, but she worried that once again, their lives were moving in different directions. Their time together would be even more limited if he was working the long hours she knew were expected of junior chefs. The future suddenly looked much more complicated than she had first imagined.

When the car finally pulled into the driveway of her parents newly rebuilt house, Kim sat in the car for a minute, looking out at the sight before her. Although almost a replica of the original building, her father had made some alterations to the design, improving on small inadequacies, or catering for the change in demographics in the Possible household, although he had assured her that her loft room had been recreated identically to the original design. This more than anything else since her return to Middleton, epitomised the fact that her old life was over. From Kindergarten through to Highschool, there had been certain elements in her life that never changed. All this had now been swept away, and she felt like she was in some Aldous Huxley novel where she was adrift in a brave new world.

Opening the door, she stepped out of the car, and as Ron carried her baggage to the house, she took a deep breath and followed hin to the front door.

She was even more disorientated when Ron dropped the bags on the doormat and gave her another hug. "I'll let you have some family time KP, OK? I've got some work to do but I'll call you later." She was left somewhat bereft, as he got back into his car and reversed back onto the road. Waving, he set off back in the direction of his parents house, leaving her to reacquaint herself with her old life.

Her father opened the door, engulfing her in an embrace that squeezed the air from her lungs. James Possible had missed his daughter more than he could have imagined. It had taken long hours of discussion and argument for him to agree to his little girl attending college out of state. As far as he was concerned, Upperton had a perfectly adequate Astrophysics department so there was no reason for Kim to move away for her higher education. It was the threat of attending some art school in Barcelona that finally made him cave in. At least studying Mathematics in UCLA allowed some hope for her to follow in his footsteps.

Anne Possible stood in the hallway, watching her husband almost crush the life out of her daughter, with a smile on her face. She had been fairly quick to accept that Kim was going to tread her own path through life regardless of her parents wishes, and respected her daughter all the more for that. Sure, she wasn't happy about her only daughter moving so far away but, in her heart, she knew that only Kim could decide on what she was going to do with her life, and this was the time to let her eldest child finally spread her wings and fly.

Deciding that her daughter's face was turning an unhealthy shade of red, she coughed, releasing Kim to the gentler embrace of her mother. As James picked up the bags from the doorstep, she turned, and the two women walked into the living room, to face the final challenge. The Tweebs.

Dinner was an animated event, as Kim enthused about her life at college, while the twins boasted about their latest pyrotechnic antics. James and Anne were happy to just sit back and watch as their children rebonded, noticing the subtle changes that had affected their daughter, and watched the shifting relationships between the newly reunited siblings. Kim seemed more amused than exasperated by her brothers exploits, while the twins seemed to have less interest in tormenting their older sister, but instead seemed more interested in trying to impress her. Life had changed for all of them, but it appeared that the changes would be taken in their stride. The Possible family would adapt and move on.

It was only much later, when the twins had vacated the house into the new workshop built out back, and her parents had finally stopped questioning her about life at university, that Kim wondered why Ron hadn't called. Normally, he was almost as much a member of the Possible household as any of the immediate family.

Also, she was starting to feel a bit displaced, as the house settled down for a quiet evening. Usually at this time, she would be discussing the latest lectures with her classmates over a coffee, or listening to the latest romantic adventures of her closest friends, and she was starting to feel a bit lost and cut off as she found herself left to her own devices.

She hung around the living room for a while, but her father was busy in his study, reading the latest test results of his current project, while her mother was called away to the hospital for an emergency, leaving Kim alone for the first time in months.

It was a disconcerting feeling, and her attempts to contact Ron going unanswered just added to the feeling of being cut off from the world. It was a sobering revelation that she had changed, and Middleton seemed so much smaller now that she had lived in the big city for a while. She was also a bit concerned that Ron wasn't answering his Kimmunicator. What if there were some emergency and she needed to get hold of him.

She quickly called up Wade, but even he took a few minutes to answer. Apparently the prolonged lack of criminal activity had left her team rather complacent. It was something she would have to work on obviously.

When she finally got to speak to her computer genius, he quickly ran a trace on Ron's Kimmunicator, but he rapidly pinpointed it as being left in his room. Kim frowned at this, she didn't like that he was incommunicado and intended to speak to him about it later.

By nine O'clock, she could bear no more and headed up to her room. Even this felt different, cramped somehow, although she knew it was exactly the same as the room she had grown up in. With a sigh, she flung herself on her bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. Finding no answer there, she flicked through some of her textbooks, killing time for a while before she gave up on the whole exercise and went to bed. Coming home wasn't quite how she expected.

By the next morning, however, she had regained her usual cheerful demeanour. Finally contacting Ron helped, although she did feel a pang of guilt at the sight of his bleary eyed visage on the Kimmunicator. He stayed awake long enough to explain that part of his duties were to clean up the kitchen after a late night service, and that Chef Cardini didn't allow any phones in his kitchen. Kim didn't like it, but she had to accept that Ron had other responsibilities now, and she agreed to catch up with him later that afternoon.

Her next call was to Monique, and finding her friend free for the morning, headed out for some girltalk and catchup shopping. This was more like what she had been looking forward to. Chatting over a cappuchino, Club Banana branded bags around their feet, Kim finally felt as if she were home as she caught up with all the local gossip.

After lunch, Monique headed back home, glad to have spent some time with her best friend. Seeing his daughter enter the house with both hands full of bulging shopping bags, her father couldn't help but roll his eyes. It didn't escape Monique's attention, and she dropped them to the floor and put her hands on her hips,

"What!" The accusing tone softened by the amusement in her eyes. This was a long running arguement between the two of them and she took great pleasure in seeing his mock exasperation at her shopping habits.

"Did I say a word honey?" Her dad held up both hands in surrender, eliciting a chuckle of victory from his daughter.

"Have a good time with Kim?" He knew that she had been missing her friend.

Monique held up her bags in answer, her face breaking into a smile being all the response she had to give, eliciting another chuckle from her father in acknowledgement.

She headed past him, taking her purchases towards the stairs.

"It's a good job she's seeing Ron this afternoon or we would have bought everything in Middleton Mall."

Her father snorted with laughter but his face quickly settled into a more pensive mood.

"I have to say, I am really impressed they are still such close friends considering the circumstances." His tone of surprise caused Monique to freeze where she stood.

"And why wouldn't they be?" She couldn't understand what would have made her dad make such a comment.

"Well, what with him having a new girlfriend and all." Her father's breezy tone sending chills down her spine. "Not many couples can remain friendly after a breakup." He continued, totally unaware of the effect his words were having on his daughter.

"What do you mean, new girlfriend?" She felt as if icy fingers of fear were wrapping themselves around her heart. Ron had a new girlfriend? From their conversations earlier, Kim obviously had no idea.

Oblivious to her distress, her father waved a hand in dismissal. "Oh, I was working down in Lowerton earlier this week and saw him in a cafe with a very pretty young girl. The way they had their heads together, it was obvious they were very much in love."

He headed off into the living room, leaving his daughter in a state of turmoil. If Kim knew, then she was either a much better actor than she had been at High School or she really didn't care. Thinking of how jealous Kim had been whenever Ron got some female attention, she couldn't see that someone could change so comprehensively in such a short space of time. The obvious conclusion had to be that Kim was totally unaware of the situation, leaving Monique on the horns of a dilemma.

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Kim just had time to drop off her shopping at home before heading out to meet Ron. They had agreed to meet at Bueno Nacho, and he was already there when she arrived.

After ordering their food, Nacho grande size for Ron and salad for Kim. they slid into their usual booth as if they had never been apart.

Watching Ron and Rufus double time their way through their meal, each trying to eat their favourite bits before the other beat them to it, brought back fond memories to the redhead as she casually picked at her food. Some things never changed, and Ron's table manners appeared to be one of them. Not that she would change him for the world, but she did sometimes wonder if he would still be the same in his thirties.

Once the first pangs of hunger had been sated, he slowed down sufficiently to begin to engage in conversation. It was the first time they had had time to catch up on what had changed since graduation, and she enjoyed listening to him enthuse about his new job in the restaurant.

He seemed rather less interested in hearing about her college life, but he had always been somewhat self centered and she was used to it. Besides, she had to admit that the stresses of study and academia faded into insignificance when compared to the pressure of a trainee cook in one of the most prestigious restaurant's in the state, if not the country.

Kim tried not to zone out while he explained the complex hierarchy in a professional kitchen, but she was distracted by the unnerving sensation of being watched. Several times she glanced about, looking to find the source of her discomfort, but there was nothing to see, and she would almost have dismissed it but an uneasy feeling in her mind.

Kim had learned to trust her instincts over the years, but however hard she tried to pin down the source of her feelings, she could see no cause for the disturbance she was experiencing.

Eventually, she dismissed it as a consequence of her returning to the place where she had experienced so many adventures in the past. Berating herself for exhibiting symptoms of mild paranoia, she forced her mind to re-engage with Ron's detailed description of how he managed to save an entire service through inventive use of a bowl of Taramasalata and some chives.

For his part, Ron was glad that Kim was happy to let him talk about work trivia. He had been somewhat nervous about spending long periods of time with her, but as long as she was happy to let him talk, she wasn't probing too deeply about what he had been doing for the past three months. The afternoon passed quicky, but for Ron, he was glad when he was able to excuse himself so that he could get ready for work.

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Spending time with Ron was enough for Kim to feel more at ease with her home life, and the evening passed with much less of a feeling of displacement now that she knew why her relationship with her boyfriend wasn't quite the same as it was when they were both in highschool.

She was surprised that dinner wasn't ready when she got in that evening, but neither her mother or father were willing to discuss it, and her brothers were too busy mixing their latest rocket fuel to care about food. It was only after persistant pestering that she got them to admit they had a table booked at Restaurant Cardini, a fact that naturally had her excited at the prospect of seeing her boyfriend at work.

She headed for her room, and after showering spent a pleasant half an hour picking the right clothes while listening to Tim and Jim protest about having to wear smart shirts and trousers. She had just picked out the perfect dress when her phone rang. She was a bit surprised that it wasn't the Kimmunicator for a second or two but seeing Monique's number explained everything.

"Hey Monique, what's up?" It was unusual for her girl friend to call her this late in the evening but she was glad for the chance to kill some time while Jim and Tim were wrestled into their going out clothes.

"Kim! You OK?" The afro-caribbean girl's voice sounded agitated over the phone.

"Err, yes. Why shouldn't I be?" Kim's confusion did nothing to settle Monique's frame of mind.

"So you and Ron are still..." She hesitated, not wanting to be the bearer of such bad news.

"Still what?" Kim couldn't understand what her friend was so upset about, although it was obvious that she was agitated about something.

"You know, ... Good?" Monique was beginning to wonder if her father had totally got the wrong end of the stick, but he had seemed so sure of himself earlier she didn't know what to think.

"What? Of course! Why wouldn't we be?" Kim was totally confused now, What was Monique on about.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I heard ..." Monique's voice trailed away as she couldn't bring herself to voice her concerns, but she had forgotten how tenacious Kim could be.

"Heard what?" Kim's voice had gained a harsh edge as she felt a flare of anger that her best female friend could cast aspersions on her relationship.

"Oh nothing. I'm sure it's just my dad getting confused. You know how men are." Monique was really beginning to wish she had listened to her inner voice and not made this phonecall.

"Has someone said something?" Kim fumed at the accusation. "Was it Bonnie? I bet it was Bonnie. She's always had it in for me!" Already she was imagining the brunette bitch spreading rumours while she was away. It was just what the evil cow would do.

"Who? No! Look, I'm sure it's just some mistake. Forget I mentioned it all right?" Monique was just trying to end the conversation now, but Kim wouldn't let it go.

"Tell me Monique!" The black girl flinched at the venom evident in Kim's voice, realising that she had painted herself into a corner she couldn't get out of.

"OK, Look! I'm sure it's nothing; it's just that my dad said he saw Ron with some girl. It's probably some work colleague or something, nothing to worry about right? I mean, it's not as if Ron is the kind of guy to do something like that is he?"

"Damn right he's not!" Kim couldn't believe that her friend would even entertain the idea. "How could you even think of such a thing? This is Ron we're talking about."

"Yeah! You're right. It's just dad getting confused. I'm sure Ron would never even think of cheating on you." Her friend sounded so contrite that Kim couldn't stay angry even though the accusation had hurt her.

"Of course he wouldn't. I mean come on Monique, Ron two-timing?"

The laugh on the other end of the phone dispelled the tension that had been building in the room.

"Yeah I know; ridiculous right?"

"Damn Right!" Kim dismissed the ludicrous suggestion from her mind. "In fact we are just heading out to eat in his new restaurant. He really does seem to be taking his career seriously."

They chatted for a few more minutes before Kim made her excuses and they hung up. On the other end of the line, Monique was glad to break off the conversation, embarrassed at making something out of nothing. She had made the call full of trepidation at the thought of having to console a heartbroken Kim, and was relieved to be spared that ordeal.

Kim didn't even give the call a second thought. No way would Ron do that to her, and she continued her preparations with supressed excitement.

She was just applying a finishing touch to her eyeliner when her father called up that they were ready to go. She didn't hurry, determined to look her best at Ron's place of work, but it wasn't long before she was sitting in the car next to her brothers as they pulled out of the driveway and heading towards Upperton.

The building, when they arrived, was everything she had imagined a top michelin starred restaurant would be. The valet parking and Maitre d' at the entrance simply adding to the sense of luxury and opulence she felt as she walked through the grand entrance.

As the family sat down, and the waiters bustled around them, she couldn't hide the pride she felt that her boyfriend worked in such a prestigious establishment. Anne and James shared a smile as the surrepticiously watched her, happy to see their beloved daughter so happy.

The service was everything she had ever expected, the wine served to her parents decadently expensive, and the silver cutlery heavy in her hands as she savoured the exquisite tastes of her food. Determined to make the most of it, she relaxed and spent some time discussing with her parents her plans for the future, all the while trying to ignore the appalling lack of table manners exhibited by her brothers.

After the starter, she excused herself, and headed off to the restroom to freshen up, glad of the chance to grab some alone time and ponder about Ron's transformation from High School slacker to professional chef. She had to admit she was impressed. She had never really thought about their long term relationship before, but time away at university had led to her re-evaluating large parts of her life, and she had gradually come to terms with the fact that her childhood was over and she was on the cusp of a new adventure. Even then, she hadn't thought about how it would effect her relationship with Ron, but seeing where he worked, she had to accept that he too was growing up and becoming a mature adult rather than the somewhat childish if endearing boy she had known for so many years. It gave her confidence that their future would be all they had ever hoped for.

Heading back from the toilets, Kim noticed a door from which a constant flow of waiters emitted, and she headed over to see if she could catch a glimpse of her boyfriend at work. She was quickly intercepted by the Maitre d'

"I am sorry madame, but that is for staff only." His voice was perfectly polite, but she could tell from his body language that he was not happy.

"I'm sorry, it's just that my boyfriend works here and I was wondering if I could watch him for a while." She put on her best ingratiating tone in an attempt to win him over. "I won't get in the way, I promise." She flashed him a smile, and even tried the puppy dog pout, but the man wasn't even looking at her.

"Chef would never allow it. Members of the public in his kitchen indeed!" She could hear the incredulity in his voice and figured this was going to be harder than she thought.

"But he's such a natural, prodigy even." Even Kim thought she was laying it on a bit thick, but she wouldn't give up easily.

"Really." The Maitre d' was dismissive, unwilling to give credit to anyone other than his boss for even being fit to fry an egg. "And what is the name of this paragon of culinary expertise?"

"Ron. Ron Stoppable." Kim gushed, hoping that his name would get her the access she desired.

The Maitre d's sniff quickly diabused her of that notion. "Him." The contempt in his voice wiped the smile of the young woman's face. "I do not know why Chef tolerates to him so much. He doesn't have the right attitude to be a chef."

Kim opened her mouth to speak, but he hadn't finished.

"In my day, if junior chef phoned in sick, he was lucky to have a job to come back to."

Kim's face fell, "He's sick?" Why hadn't Ron told her, he seemed OK this afternoon.

The man turned his gaze on her, looking down his nose at the young womann before him.

"He's been off all week." It was obvious that however good Ron was in the kitchen, he would be hard pressed to get back into the maitre d's good books.

Kim didn't know what to say, and after a few seconds, the man turned and, with another dismissive sniff, headed back into the main restaurant, leaving a very confused young woman in his wake.

Anne Possible knew something was bothering her daughter as soon as she returned to the table. The pride and excitement so evident before Kim had left was gone, and although she went through the motions, it was obvious that she had other things on her mind. Obvious to her mother at least, James and the twins were oblivious as usual, unaware of the lack of interest shown by Kim as she picked at her food, or the inquisitive glances cast her way by her mother.

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Sleep didn't come easy to Kim that night, she couldn't get out of her head that Ron had lied. If not to her, then at least to his employer, and she couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he hated his job, Kim could tell when he was talking about it how enthusiastic he was, and she couldn't believe that even Ron would be so irresponsible to miss work due to laziness.

Her conversation with Monique flashed into her mind, but she dismissed that as quickly as the first time she had heard it. No way was Ron two-timing her, it was just unthinkable.

Convinced that he wasn't lying to her, she tossed and turned in her bed, wondering why he was lying to his boss. She even considered calling him up in the middle of the night but decided it was too late, especially if he was ill; she didn't want to disturb him. It was only when she considered the possiblity that he had some condition that precluded him from the kitchen for hygiene reasons but didn't exhibit any symptoms that she could finally relax. She didn't have any idea what that could possibly be, but it was enough of an excuse for her to finally get some sleep, even if it was fitful and disturbed by strange dreams.

The next morning, she woke up feeling groggy and tired. Whatever peace she had found during the night disappeared in the light of day, it was so unlike Ron to lie like that. She kept trying to tell herself it wasn't unlike Ron for him to skip work whenever he could, but that didn't make sense considering how much he loved cooking. After all, she reminded hersself, think how motivated he had been working for Bueno Nacho, a job in a proper restaurant would be his dream.

Her eyes fell on the green Kimmunicator on her bedside table, but figured it was too early, besides, she was a little bit afraid that he wouldn't answer it.

She managed to hold off for an hour before the temptation became too much and she hit his speed-dial button. The sight of his bleary-eyed face squinting from under rumpled bedclothes calmed some of her fears.

"Hey Kim, what's up?" He was obviously still half asleep, rubbing his eyes as he struggled to sit up.

"Ron! You aren't still in bed? Its nine o'clock." Her voice was tinged with relief that her worse fears weren't realised.

"Huh? Oh late night at work KP. You wouldn't believe how dirty some of those ovens get, and guess who's job it is to clean them after service."

Kim froze, cold fingers of fear gripping her heart as she stared at the small screen, her face pale as the blood drained from her cheeks.

Not that Ron noticed. Unaware that he had been caught in a lie, he yawned profusely and scratched his head before lying back down on his pillow.

"Sorry Kim, I'm really bushed, I only got in about Five. Can I call you later?"

He didn't wait for a reply before closing his eyes. His hand flopped over the side of the bed, just managing to switch off the device before it slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor.

Still in shock, Kim sat staring at the now blank screen for several minutes before flicking the off switch. He'd lied to her, she couldn't believe it.

He'd never lied to her. They had been best friends since Kindergarten, and in all that time he had never lied to her.

Her inner voice cut in then, reminding her of the time he stole her battlesuit to get onto the football team and there was always the Yamanouchi affair, but each of those cases had been him concealing something from her, whereas this was a blatant outright lie.

She thought about heading round to his house and confronting him about it but fear held her back, afraid that she might really find out something that would change their relationship for ever.

For about half an hour, she oscillated between calling him up and demanding the truth, and not mentioning it in the hope that whatever the reason it would just go away. Eventually, still unable to make up her mind, she called Monique.

"Hey Girl, whats up?" Monique was always an early riser but her initial cheery mood darkened as she heard her friend explain what had happened last night.

"You can't run away from this Kim, whatever the reason you need to know!" she said, while she listened to her friend backtrack saying she had probably misunderstood or got the wrong end of the stick. For someone so capable, Kim had deep issues of insecurity that baffled her female friend.

"Look, there's probably some perfectly reasonable explanation, I mean this is Ron we're talking about, but much better to get it out in the open." Her voice slipped into the firm no-nonsense best-friend-knows-best tone she had so often used in highschool. "I mean anything's got to be better than what you're imagining right?"

When the conversation had finished, Kim sat on her bed, pondering the advice she had been given, before finally making up her mind and getting dressed. Monique was right, there probably was a good reason for Ron's behaviour, and she owed him the courtesy of putting his side of the story.

It was mid morning by the time she left the house, slipping behind the wheel of her car and reaquainting herself with the enjoyable sensation of driving, something she had missed while at college. Her anxiety rose as she approached Ron's house, but she was jolted out of her funk as she saw a motorcycle pull of his driveway just as she approached. Both riders wore helmets, but she instinctively knew the driver was Ron, and by the slight figure of the passenger Kim knew it was a female.

All reason went out of her mind as she realised that he was seeing another woman. Slipping the car into gear, she pulled away, following the rapidly accelerating bike before it disappeared out of sight.

Wherever Ron was heading, he was in a terrible hurry and Kim had trouble keeping him in sight. Unwilling to lose him, she winced as she turned a corner slightly too fast, only lightening reflexes preventing the back of the car swinging away into a skid, but still she pressed on, just managing to keep the motorcycle in sight.

Whether she would have caught up with him she would never know, but her chase came to an abrupt end as an unmarked white Ford Transit van pulled out of a side street just as she barrelled past.

Again it was her reflexes that saved her, slamming on the brakes and yanking visciously on the steering wheel, putting her car into a spin so that the impact was on the side rather than the hood. Even so, it rattled her teeth inside her head, but it did prevent any other injury.

Quick as a flash she opened the door and ran around the front of the two vehicles, only to see the bike disappear over the brow of a hill. For a moment, she considered running after them, but the sound of the van's door opening and the profusive apologies of the Japanese driver brought her back to her senses.

By the time she has assured herself the other driver wasn't hurt, she had calmed down and started to think clearly. The fact that she had been driving too fast was balanced out the fact that the van driver had pulled out into oncoming traffic without looking, so neither of them wanted to make it an insurance issue.

That left Kim with the dilemma of where to get the damage to her door fixed. She didn't want to get her father and brothers to do it, although she had no doubt they could do a good job, but she didn't want to have to deal with the inevitable questions. Fortunately she didn't have to, Wade had an extensive list of mechanics perfectly able to carry out the necessary repairs, and she spent the rest of the morning and a good part of the afternoon watching her door panel being beaten out and resprayed.

By the time it was ready, she had to think about getting back home in time for tea, so it was much later before she could get back to addressing the issue of Ron's deceitfulness. She thought about just heading back over there, but she didn't want to get there only to find he wasn't home. The Kimmunicator was out as she couldn't rely on him answering it, or even having it with him.

She had had plenty of time to think over the past few hours, and the one issue that kept resurfacing in her mind was the question why. She could almost accept that they had drifted apart over the past couple of months, although it broke her heart to admit it, but surely he owed her the decency of telling her that it was over. The more she thought about it, the more a sense of betrayal formed in her mind. Didn't he have the courage to tell her he had met someone else, or did he intend to string her along, two-timing her with some other slut. Her initial anger slowly turned into a white-hot fury until she could contain it no more. She picked up the phone and called his number.

"Stoppable household." The cultured voice of Ron's mother eminated from the handset. "Oh, hello dear." was the reply to Kim's initial query to speak to Ron. "I'm afraid they're not back yet, but I'll get him to call you as soon as he gets in."

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Ron Stoppable cut the engine to his Kawasaki 1400GTR, and removed his helmet. The arms that had been entwined around his waist for the last 40 miles unlatched themselves, and he walked towards the door that led from the garage to his house, flexing slightly to relieve the numbness in his backside. Stopping only to grab a can from the fridge, he opened the door to the lounge, calling out to his parents. "We're baaack. Did Kim call while I was out?"

His voice trailed off as he took in the scene in his living room. There, sitting on the sofa, next to a very flustered Mrs Stoppable sat Kim. The initial glare from those emerald green eyes was bad enough, but it only intensified when the door was pushed open and another figure entered the room.

Straight black hair, cut into a fairly severe bob framed an exquisite oriental face, feminine curves encased in black leather completing the ensemble, the newcomer moved with an effortless grace that made the teen superhero feel clumsy by comparison.

"Ooops." The word escaped the young man's lips before he could control himself. From a pocket in his leathers, a pink head emerged, but with one look at the redhead's expression uttered a quick "Uh Oh!" and disappeared back into it's hiding place.

"I'm sorry Ronald." His mother sounded as if she was almost in tears. "I thought you had told her." Ron's face drained of colour as he faced up to the fact that he was in serious trouble. He was sure there were more dangerous forces in the world than a pissed off Kim Possible, but right now, he couldn't think of any.

In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Yori stepped forward and offered a low bow to the angry girl standing before her. "Possible San, it is my honour to meet you once more."

The crack of palm striking cheek, echoed through the room, a red welt discolouring the suddenly white face of the young ninja. Incapable of speech, the furious Kim Possible swung again, but this time it was intercepted by the black clad forearm of the Yamanouchi student. "You dishonour me Possible San. Do not do it again!" The voice was husky with anger, but the implied threat simply infuriated her attacker.

"You skanky Ho." Kim's voice cracked with emotion as tears welled in her eyes, and were swiftly blinked away. "I bet you couldn't wait for me to leave him alone for a minute. Did you give him a week to miss me, or were you on the plane the moment he told you I'd left."

"Hey HEY!" Ron stepped between the two girls. "Come on Kim, what is the matter with you? You know I wouldn't do anything like that." With his mother practically fainting on the couch, and two of the worlds three most dangerous women about to throw down in his living room, Ron applied all his tact and diplomacy into diffusing the situation. "Yori is just here to look after me while you were away at college."

Apart from a muffled "Oh Crap" eminating from the young man's pocket, the silence following this statement took on an even more ominous portent. Kim's face had transformed into a jealous snarl, her fists clenched as she faced up to the fact that her boyfriend, and so called best friend, had been seeing someone else behind her back. Yori, insensed by the implied slur on her honour reacted by dropping back into a defensive stance, not wanting to escalate the situation, but her hands hovered over the two fans tucked into her belt. One false move, and the Stoppable house would explode into a no holds barred fight to the death.

Ron simply couldn't believe how quickly this whole situation had gotten out of control. One look at Kim told him she was beyond reason, so he turned to the other antagonist in this drama.

"Please Yori, can you give me and Kim a moment? You too Mom."

Only too glad to let someone else handle the explosive situation, Mrs Stoppable pulled herself together and vacated the room, pausing only to sweep up the young Ninja in her wake.

With her rival no longer in the room, Kim's ire was suddenly focused on Ron Stoppable. "You Bastard." A fist swung, striking the blond adolescent on the shoulder. The physical pain was nothing, however, to the emotional distress he felt from the sound of tears in his friend's voice. "I loved you...bastard." Twice more, fists hammered down on his chest but the power was gone, instead Ron was subjected to seeing his friend collapse on the carpet, tears rolling down her face.

Dropping to his knees, he tried to hold her, but with renewed vigour, she knocked his hands away. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" her revusion echoed through the house as she shrank away from his touch. Pushing herself up from the floor, vision blinded by tears, she ran out of the front door watched by a stricken young man.

The sound of the front door slamming brought Yori and Mrs Stoppable back in from the kitchen, to be confronted by a white faced Ron Stoppable, stunned by the sudden collapse of his personal life. With a distraught look towards his mother, all he could say was "What the hell just happened?"

James Possible had stayed up that night, unwilling to miss any opportunity of seeing his little girl as much as possible during the short time available to him during the winter break, but one look as his daughter's face when she burst through the front door sent him straight into his study. He was clever enough to know his limitations, and feminine tears was his wife's department.

Anne Possible heard the slam of the front door and instantly knew that something was rotten in the state of Kim and Ron. Hurried footsteps on the stairs, and a barely suppressed sob as her daughter passed her parent's bedroom door, followed by the violent slamming of the loft hatch meant she was not surprised by the sound of heartbroken crying as she slowly climbed the stairs to Kim's bedroom.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed open the hatch and climbed into the converted bedroom. One look at the shaking shoulders and puffy face of the figure prone on the bed, and she knew platitudes and worldly wisdom were neither required nor welcome. Without a word, she gathered up her daughter in her arms, and simply held her. Long minutes passed as the sobs shook the young girl's frame, her head buried in her mother's embrace, Kim Possible cried until she had no more tears.

Hours after her mother had left her, ostensibly to let her sleep, Kim lay awake, the scenario running again and again through her mind, as she relived the horrible moment she realised her boyfriend had cheated on her.

One issue had been resolved. When she really needed it, her family provided the foundations on which all her strengths were based. Buildings and friendships could come and go, it was her parents and brothers that were the font of all her inner strength and determination, nothing would ever change that.

Despair and anguish finally turned into anger and resentment, and seeking an outlet, she fired up her computer and looked to vent her ire to the online community. What she hadn't expected, however, was to see her old website offline, and apparently it had been that way for some time. No wonder she hadn't been bothered during her first college trimester. Any attempt to contact Wade, her website administrator, was met with a recorded message that he was unavailable due to family commitments, but despite this, a message was sitting in her inbox, apparently sent within the past hour.

Curiosity drove her to read it, anything to distract her mind from the trainwreck that represented her emotional state. Right now she needed a target on which to unload her frustration and turmoil, and this contact provided it. Without another thought, she slipped into her mission gear and headed out of the house. For the first time in four months, Kim Possible was on a mission, and with the mood she was in, everyone had better get out of her way.


	4. Ch 3 Reunion

James Brown filled her world.

One thing Shego had taken with her when she left Go Tower, was her old record collection. Years of listening to Hip-Hop and Rap had been temporarily put aside as she reacquainted herself with the masters of Soul and RnB. Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklyn and Cab Calloway took up space on her Ipod previously dedicated to MC Honey, Run DMC and Dr. Dre. With her eyes closed, chair pushed back onto its rear legs and feet resting on the desk, she was the picture of relaxation.

Her idyll, however, was rudely interrupted when someone forceably yanked the earphone cable, causing her to almost overbalance and tip over backwards as she jerked back into the present.

"Shego!" The whiny voice was really starting to get on her nerves. "You really should be getting ready, it's almost time to go."

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Her reunion with Dr Drakken had not quite been the easy resumption of relations she had expected. In the past, there had been a number of separations, usually due to him being stuck in prison waiting for her to bust him out, but they had always fallen back into familiar patterns without any apparent effort. This time, however, there was a feeling of discomfort, as the two partners in crime struggled to readjust to their new situation.

At least she no longer had to worry about being grabbed at inappropriate times by a randy vine. Liberal dosings of Roundup had finally cured Drakken of impromptu flowering, and the tendril had withered a couple of days later. Even the Doctor was glad to be rid of it, the advantages it provided were more than offset by the chronic embarrassment it caused by snagging the nearest available female at the drop of a hat.

After a couple of days, the atmosphere between them had grown so tense, that they actually ended up discussing this situation almost as equals. There was plenty of skirting around the issues, but eventually Shego confessed to the confusion she had been feeling. Drakken's response was unexpected and surprisingly constructive.

"And you say that you are experiencing sympathy for your brothers that is in direct contradiction to your true feelings for them? Hmmm, I remember speculating about this when I investigated my own encounter with the attitudinator."

Shego had almost forgotten that her own boss had been changed by Hench's machine several years ago. The memory of her encounter Zarpox made her shudder as she remembered her own feeling of helplessness in the face of true evil. Still, it seemed that maybe she would finally get some answers. For the first time in a very long time, she actually began to listen to her employer.

"And the device had been modified to work at a distance you say? Yes she would definitely have had to crank up the power for that to work, which would make it even more likely."

"Come On Dr D." Shego interrupted, eager for specifics. "What has that machine done to me, and how can I reverse it? There as got to be something we can do?"

Drakken stopped pacing round the control room, and turned to face her.

"You see, the attitudinator works by rerouting the synapses in the brain. As you experience life, the brain is constantly building junctions between the neurons, constructing a matrix that shapes your very character. The attitudinator switches all these junctions around to create an exact mirror image of the original personality. It's a good job Kim Possible didn't take my notes when she switched me and ... erm... the other one. Otherwise I wouldn't have any idea on what the problem was."

Drakken moved until he was leaning over the table his sidekick was sitting behind. Leaning in to look directly into her eyes.

"You see memories are really just collections of neural connections which is why when switched you couldn't remember certain aspects of your previous life. Long term memories are much harder to disrupt, and would be likely to remain, but the short term memory is much more malleable. I'll bet you can't really remember much about the episode at all. The specifics at least should already be fading."

Faced with the intense scrutiny of the scientist, Shego had to own up to several large blanks in her memory relating to the incident.

"There you are, you see." Drakken continued in a slightly smug manner, now that his hypothesis had some concrete proof. "Your feelings are just a manifestation of the neural manipulation you experienced. They will probably fade in time, as long as you don't do anything to reinforce their legitimacy. I suggest you stay away from your brothers until your original thought processes reassert themselves. Nothing we can do about your missing memories, however, they are gone."

Relations between the two had slipped into a more familiar vein after this discussion. As Shego could now rationalise her emotions, she became more comfortable around her old associates and the aura of tension began to dissipate.

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Things were certainly getting back to normal, Drakken was really beginning to get on her nerves.

With a resigned sigh, the green clad mercenary roused herself and slipped the MP3 player into a concealed pocket in her catsuit. This whole vendetta had lost all appeal for her for some time now. Once Dementor lost his contract with Henchco, the challenge had gone. A few robotic guards and the odd trap was hardly worth getting out of bed for.

Not that even Jack Hench's goons had the capability to stretch her. Sure quantity had a quality all of it's own, as the old saying went, but it soon got repetative. Beat up a few guards, crack the base security system and watch as Drakken looted Dementor's stores for anything interesting. Sure he claimed that he was just restoring the items to their rightful owner, but if that was the case, why were half the instruction manuals written in German?

Something was still missing in Shego's life, that extra spark of competition and challenge that made everything worth while. What she really needed was ...

A flash of inspiration cut through her former lethargy like a hot knife through butter. With a quick check on the calendar, she strode out of the chamber, heading for her own room. "I'll be right with you Doc." She cried as her pace quickened. "Just need to do something and we're gone." Her voice floated back down the corridor, leaving a bemused Dr Drakken in her wake.

Ten minutes later, she was back. Her whole demeanour changed by an aura of eagerness to be off. Knowing better than to antagonise his dangerous sidekick, Drakken was swept up in her wake as she headed for the vehicle bay.

Shego's previously ebullient mood was rapidly dented by the sight that met her as she entered the hanger. The expected UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter was conspicuous by its absence. Instead, surrounded by various road vehicles in differing states of repair, sat a small oval flying car, resting on two ski runners bolted onto the base by four foot struts. It looked like an old Huey without the rotors or tail.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Her voice incredulous with the sight before her. "I thought we dumped it years ago."

"Now Now Shego," Drakken's voice was conciliatory in tone as he tried to avoid any unpleasantness. "The Ice Runner is a perfectly operational vehicle."

"It's about as aerodynamic as a fridge with wings. No way we are flying in that. What have you done with the chopper?"

"Helicopters are a relic of the past." Drakken's voice assumed the pompous tone he always used when about to proclaim his own brilliance. "With the quantum interspatial vortex generator, air travel as we know it has changed forever."

"The interwhat what now?" Shego already knew this was a mistake but she couldn't believe he had got rid of a perfectly serviceable machine to be replaced by a piece of junk even she found awkward to fly.

"Really Shego, I don't know why I even bother to explain things to you at all!" The hurt in Dr Drakken's voice causing her to roll her eyes in exasperation. "The Interspatial Vortex Generator connects two locations in space providing instantaneous travel anywhere in the world. With this invention I will add the Physics Nobel Prize to my collection. Let's see the MIT laugh when I show them THIS."

"And the number of successful tests you've run with this whozit is how many?" Past experience had long since taught Shego to be wary of her employers inventions.

"Honestly, Shego, do you really expect me to risk using an untested Urk..." His reply was cut short as he was grabbed by the lapels and found himself nose to nose with the young thief.

"HOW MANY?" the dangerous glint in her eye, convinced Drakken that lying was not an option.

"Well none actually, but I am pretty sure where I went wrong." His voice trailing of in a petulant snivel.

"Forget it." No way was Shego going anywhere near it. She wasn't that stupid.

"But it's the only working vehicle we've got." Drakken's voice took on an undertone of panic. Things had been going pretty well lately, but it took more than a few months for him to forget the feel on plasma burns.

"But where is the Blackhawk?" Shego still didn't understand why Drakken was insisting on using the flying car, especially as it had been mothballed for over a year due to its erratic flight pattern. "I didn't steal it for my health you know."

"I broke it up for spares." The reply was muted and tentative. Shego buried her head in her hands and took several deep breaths as she struggled with the urge to wring his neck.

"Calm, Calm, you've got somewhere to be." The mantra repeated itself in her head as she battled with her emotions. "Fine!" She finally managed to control her temper enough to speak in a moderately sedate manner. "But don't touch ANYTHING!"

Climbing into the vehicle, she muttered under her breath. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Reaching out, she grabbed her erstwhile boss by the scruff of the neck, and dragged in into the car. Forceably sitting him down in the passenger seat. "Which one fires up the hyperspace thingy?" Her tone left no room for dissent, and Drakken silently pointed to a bright purple button on the left hand side of the control panel. With a flare of plasma, it pooled into a blob of melted plastic. Finally satisfied that she was safe, Shego activated the anti-gravity device, and gingerly steered the craft out of the hangar, trying to regain the feel of the controls of a machine that had all the manouverability of a brick.

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She lay on a ridge overlooking the compound, watching as lorry after lorry drove up through the gates and lined up near the loading bay doors. Seconds later, light spilled out as the huge portals swung open on their hydrolic hinges.

The building was a low squat affair, with various chimneys and cooling vents sprouting out of the top giving it an ugly profile. Sitting on top, appeared to be some kind of office complex, noticable by the windows that were lacking on the lower levels. Kim hoped there wasn't an even more extensive underground facility she couldn't see.

The location mentioned in the email had led Kim out of the city and into the surrounding farm land. The building appeared to be a meat packing factory, but judging by the dismantled laser cannons being loaded into the trucks, someone was carrying out a well organised raid on a secret weapons facility, just as the missive had promised.

Peering through a small but powerful set of binoculars, Kim's attention was caught by the sight of a figure directing the men as they set about their work. She couldn't see them clearly, there were too many other bodies in the way, but the slight figure among a crowd of large men, and the flash of green, left her in no doubt who was behind this raid. As she lowered the binoculars from her eyes, a single word was breathed into the night. "Shego."

For some reason, this relevation affected her more than she expected. She had no reason to believe that her arch nemesis would return to a life on the right side of the law, in fact everything she knew about the ex-superhero suggested that she enjoyed her life of crime. Why should she expect her to remain on the straight and narrow, but despite all this, there was a heavy feeling of disappointment in the young crime fighter's heart. This was quickly replaced with a feeling of anger as another betrayal bruised her soul.

Off to the east, over the horizon twenty miles away, the lights of Middleton could be seen reflected off clouds in the night sky. It was almost a full moon, but currently this was obscured, leaving the approach to the front gate shrouded in darkness. Donning a dark tee-shirt and her usual combat trousers over her white battlesuit to prevent detection, kim slipped silently into the night, moving swiftly but in almost complete silence. A ghost flitting from shadow to shadow as she prepared to infiltrate the base.

The distance was deceptive in the weak light of the night sky, the only illumination provided by what little moon and starlight broke through the clouds, and it was twenty minutes before she reached the fence. Cutting through it was childsplay with her lipstick laser, and avoiding the main bay, partially to avoid detection, and partially to keep her night vision, Kim Possible worked her way around the building, seeking a less obvious entrance.

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The Stoppable household was a subdued place once Kim had stormed out of the front door. Ron had been too shell-shocked to go after her, and was sitting on the settee with his face in his hands when the door to the kitchen opened to admit the young Japanese ninja back into the room.

Ron looked up at the sound, but his eyes were sightless, staring into space as his mind struggled to process the aftershock of the mental trauma he had was suffering. He did't notice as Yori did a quick visual sweep of the area before crossing over to kneel by his side, and only registered her presence when she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Oh God, what have I done?" The despair in his voice apparent as he struggled to focus on the present. There was a rustle as Rufus, emerged from his pocket and uttered a sympathetic "aawww" trying to break through the despondance engulfing his owner.

Ron's face was pale as he pushed himself up out of the divan. "I really have to talk to her, to explain what is going on." He was stopped by Yori, rising from the floor and placing her hand against his chest. "I think that Possible San is too angry to listen right now." Her oriental accent subdued as she tried to reason with the befuddled young man she was sworn to protect. "Let her cool her anger and sleep, you can explain everything tomorrow."

Feminine reason finally broke through the confused daze fogging Ron's mind, and he wearily collapsed back into the seat behind him.

"You really should have told her earlier."

Yori cursed under her breath as she ardently wished she could take back the recriminating words uttered in haste.

"How could I?" Ron's answer was listless as he sought to reconcile his dilemma. "I promised her parents that she shouldn't be disturbed while she settled into college, and I meant to tell her today on the journey from the airport, but the right moment never came up."

"Besides." His voice grew stronger as he let and edge of frustration and anger show. "The elders decreed that Yamanouchi business should remain secret. How could I explain to Kim the reason for you being here, without bringing up everything else."

Yori blinked as tears pricked her eyes. Brushing them away, she clamped down on painful memories still too fresh to be revisited. Steeling her mind against the powerful emotions that threatened to overwhelm her, she put her own feelings aside. The time would come when she would allow herself to cry, but now was not it.

"What can I do Yori?" the distraught wail brought her back to the present, as she put her arms around the young man, arguably the most powerful font of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar the world had ever seen, currently reduced to a shivering wretch as powerful emotions wracked his mind.

"You should sleep!" Yori's emphatic command resounded through the room. "You are no use to anyone in this state. Kim or Yamanouchi." Guiding her charge through the doorway to the main hall, she escorted him up the stairs to his bedroom. Opening the door, she pushed the young man into the room. "You can speak to Kim in the morning, once she has calmed down. I am sure she will see reason after sleeping on it."

Yori's confident tone, allowed Ron to relax slightly, and he had to admit that feelings were far too high at present for him to hold a coherent conversation, even if Kim was in the mood to listen. Hearing Yori close the door behind him, he slipped out of his clothes, and after cleaning his teeth, settled under the covers and tried to get to sleep.

A muffled noise on the roof let him know that the night watch was in place. He hoped that it wasn't Yori tonight. They'd had a hard day prior to the fracas downstairs, and she needed her sleep. At least he had finally convinced her that she didn't need to sleep outside his door. That had been just too embarrassing.

It was a few hours later, that he was woken by the tinny sound of his communicator, muffled slightly by the shirt carelessly thrown over the table on which it rested. Groggy and bleary eyed, he reached out and fumbled around until he managed to untangle it from the errant piece of clothing. The worried face of Wade greeted him, the light from the LED screen throwing a sickly green glow over Ron's face as he acknowledged his long time friend.

"Hey Wade, what's up?" A yawn split his face as he struggled against the last vestiges of sleep.

"Ron." Wade's voice was urgent and radiated concern as he tried to wake up the sleepy sidekick. "You're not with Kim!"

The feelings of despair rushed back into Ron's heart as the memories of the earlier events returned.

"No, we had a fight." His face reddened with shame as he owned up to the problems in his private life. "Kim caught me and Yori together before I had a chance to explain the situation."

"Look Ron." Wade's voice cut through the sheepish admissions of the older man. "Kim isn't at home, I've checked with her parents, and the battle suit is gone."

"WHAT!" Ron's earlier lethargy and shame were swept away as Wade's news cut through his own ennui.

"She got an email late last night, she must have gone out on a mission."

"But her website's down." Ron's confusion was apparent as he pointed out the obvious. "How could anyone contact her. That was the whole point. We all agreed on it."

"Someone must have access to her private mailbox." Wade's explanation did nothing to lessen his fear. "As far as I know, only you, I and Monique have that, and I really don't think this message was from her."

Wade's voice trailed off as Ron disappeared from his sight. "Ron, what are you doing?" When the freckled face reappeared in his sight a few moments later, he could see that the young man was now dressed, wearing the leather coveralls previously worn that evening.

"What did the message say?" Pulling on his boots, Ron Stoppable's demeanour was business like and determined.

"It warns of a raid on a secret weapons facility about thirty miles east of Middleton, but there is no weapons facility there, it's just farms and the odd processing factory for miles around."

"Give me the coordinates." Ron opened the door to his bedroom, not even stopping to pick up his constant rodent companion who was still asleep. Once the location was patched through to his communicator, he didn't waste any more time. Taking the stairs was too slow, so he flipped over the bannister, lightly landing on the hall floor on his hands and feet. A noise from the landing made him look up to see a dishevelled Yori peering over the railing, clad in a cream silk dressing gown, decorated with a blue lotus flower.

"Ron, wait!" Her cry was ignored as he grabbed the keys to his bike and ran to the doorway.

"Sorry Yori, no time!" The door slammed behind him, leaving a very irate ninja cursing in a most unladylike fashion, before she too dashed back into her room and began throwing on clothes as fast as she possibly could.

The roar of the motorbike resounded throughout the neighbourhood as Ron gunned the engine and shot off down the road. Just too late, a black clad figure leapt from an upstairs window and was left to stand looking at the rapidly vanishing figure as he disappeared down the road.

"Oh Ron!" Yori's voice betrayed a fear she had never felt before. "Be safe, you are Yamanouchi's only hope." A black clad hand touched her shoulder, and she turned to acknowledge her fellow ninja who had come down from the roof to investigate the disturbance. Shaking off her despair, Yori turned and went back into the house.

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Entry into the complex was an easy task once Kim had left the loading bay behind her. An iron rung fire-escape gave her access to the roof, and an air conditioning duct provided entry into the building proper. "The security here really sucks." The thought passed through Kim's mind as she crawled through the air vent. "Someone should really talk to them about it."

A quick application from her lipstick laser took care of the ventilation grill, allowing her to slip silently into a dimly lit corridor. Raised voices alerted to an approaching guard, enabling her to slip into a nearby office, leaving the door slightly ajar so that she could watch them as they went past.

They were definitely Drakken's goons, she would recognise the uniform anywhere, but they moved with a confidence she wasn't used to seeing. They were still the overweight, undisciplined mob they had always been, but there was a swagger in their step as they patrolled the corridor, the image of professionalism spoiled by one of them stuffing the remains of a doughnut into his mouth as he walked by.

Kim let a couple of minutes pass before heading back out into the corridor, and turning towards the direction the guards had come from, headed off to find the mastermind behind this little scheme. She knew they would be somewhere near the centre of the complex, but unfortunately she didn't have any idea where that was. Heading off in the general direction was all she could do.

Several rooms opened out off the passage she was in, and she wasted even more time checking these out. They all appeared to be living areas, for a large number of people, but apparently they had not been used for some time. "What kind of place is this?" The thought passed through her mind as yet another room turned out to be a hollow shell.

By her own reckoning she had covered one whole side of the compound, the building being in the shape of a hollow square. Comparing her mental image of the building as seen from the ridge, the access to the upper levels should be around here somewhere.

She came across it moments later as she turned a corner, walking smack into a guard who was coming the other way. Both antagonists staggered back in complete surprise, but it was the young teen who regained her wits first. Before the older man could react, a leg swept out, hooking his feet out from under him. They literally flipped ninety degrees as he completely lost his balance, and before he could even hit the floor, a fist crashed into his jaw, knocking him senseless.

Quickly looking around to see if the disturbance had been noticed, Kim grabbed the unconscious body under the armpits and dragged it into a nearby side chamber. Once all evidence of her presence had been hidden, she allowed herself a quiet moment of smug satisfaction. She may not have been active for the past few months but she was still on form.

Returning to the scene of the incident, she found a flight of stairs leading up into the darkness. With more caution this time, she slowly began to climb.

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Drakken was ecstatic with yet another successful triumph over his impertinent challenger. "It will be a cold day in hell before that tin-headed teutonic fool gets the better of ME!"

Shego was trying to ignore all the posturing, she had other things on her mind. She sat behind a console covered in buttons, levers and other controls, the function of which she had no idea, but anyone watching her for any length of time could see signs of nervousness in her posture.

Her eyes never rested in one place for any length of time, and occasionally she would erupt out of the chair and pace for a few moments before sitting back down again. All the time, her hands were playing with what looked like a TV remote control.

"Honestly Shego, I really don't understand you." Dr Drakken was completely bemused by his sidekick's behaviour. "You rushed to be here in record time, pushing the runner far beyond it's operational limits, then point blank refuse to assist in organising the reclaiming of my rightful property." Shego's head moved slightly in dismissal of the outright lie from her employer.

"And now you sit here while I have to do all the hard work managing the workforce, I really don't know why I bother paying you at all."

That got a reaction immediately. The green flare emanating from her hands was a very effective method of grabbing the little worm's attention Shego found.

Backpedalling frantically, the blue scientist waved his hands in front of him as he hurriedly moved towards a door in the opposite wall to the main entrance. "Well we'll say no more about it then." The fear in his voice caused black luscious lips to curl in a contemptuous sneer. "I'll just err ... go check on the computer room again." These last words uttered in a gabbled rush as he quickly turned and practically ran out of the room.

"And just you remember it." The thought passed through Shego's mind as she watched her boss almost run into the door frame in his hurry to escape.

Suddenly, she stiffened as she felt eyes boring into the back of her neck. The sneer turned into a malicious grin as she casually looked back towards the main entrance. "Why princess, so good of you to come. I thought you would never get here."

Kim Possible, had fought Shego many times in the past, and every time it had been a nailbitingly close encounter. The green thief never seemed to give up, even when she was fighting a lost cause, and the young heroine doubted this time would be any different.

"So you decided a life on the right side of the law wasn't good enough for you!" The words were spat out with a venom Shego had never heard before. Well there was one time, but she didn't like to think of that occasion very often. Green eyes narrowed as she read the body language of the young girl before her.

Shego rarely bothered thinking about anyone but herself, and this time was no exception. She honestly hadn't even considered how Kim would react to her presence, but now she was faced with the reality, it was nothing like what she would have expected. "I can't have pissed her off already, surely." the thought passed briefly through Shego's mind as she slowly crabbed sideways, always keeping her adversary in sight. "No, there is definitely something else going on here."

"Awww, college life getting on top of you Kimmie?" Shego's lips twitched as her face settled into her most insolent smirk. "You sound tetchy." She knew that this look tended to irritate the young teen, and anything that threw Kim off her game was fine by her. Her opponent was just too good not to seek any advantage in the coming conflict.

"I just don't like wasting my time beating on your stubborn hide." Kim was in no mood for the banter that had often preceded previous fights. With a somersault over the console that was separating them, Kim closed the distance and engaged.

Both women were cagey at first, feeling out their opponent, knowing that one mistake would prove very costly indeed. The punches were light and the moves defensive. But as each fighter began to warm up, the muscles remembered long practiced movements, and the pace began to quicken.

A quick one two, punch combination followed by a right roundhouse kick and a left back kick was just the start as Kim sought to end the confrontation quickly, but Shego easily evaded, giving up ground as she planned her own attack.

A sudden change of direction caught Kim out, as she made the mistake of settling into a rhythm, her opponent was momentarily out of her field of view, and a moment was all that Shego needed. A short grubber punch slammed into the teen's unprotected side, causing her to grunt with pain as she lost her balance. Staggering away from her attacker, she was lucky to get an arm in the way of the followup kick, a viscious lunge towards her kidney. The move cost her however, as pain shot up her arm as it knocked the leg away, meaning she was unable to seize the initiative while Shego recovered from the unexpected block.

"You sure you're up to this?" Shego's mocking tone, grating on Kim's nerves as she shook her arm to dispel the final vestiges of pain. "You look like you've put on a bit of weight."

That comment earned a look, that filled her heart with glee. "Oh yes, this is what I've been missing." The thought rushed through her head, as she felt a surge of exhaultation rush through her body. Shego couldn't resist having another dig as the two women circled, seeking an opening. "Not too much, just the odd inch around the hips."

Kim's face flamed with anger at the sound of her opponent's voice. "Can't you ever just shut up?" The comment was followed by a swift lunge leading hand jabbing out towards the green woman's chin, swiftly followed by a leg sweeping round to hook the opposing leg. Shego countered by allowing the momentum to swing her round, snapping out a fist as her adversary closed in. Again, Kim reeled back, this time rubbing her cheek as once again she was caught by the counter.

"Come on Kim, focus." Her mind was in turmoil as she tried to centre herself. She couldn't afford to be distracted, Shego was just too good. Her next attack was more controlled, switching speeds first fast then slow, then swiftly switching back to fast, hand and foot combinations driving the thief into the position where Kim wanted her.

Eventually, one of the blocks failed to make it on time. Shego cursed as the fist was driven into her ribs, air expelled from her lungs in an audible "Ooof" which brought a smile to the redhead's face. "You're getting too old for this Shego." The sight of the older woman staggering back clutching her side was a picture. "Shouldn't you be thinking of retirement?"

But Shego had a long history of taunting her opponents, and she wasn't going to let that distract her. A deep breath shook off the bruising pain in her ribs, and she shook her long black hair in an arrogant display of devil may care.

"Well that's the warm up, Pumpkin, how about we switch to the main event?" Her hands flared green as she finally activated her Comet powers, and she hurled a bolt of green fire directly as her opponent.

Instead of dodging the attack like she expected, however, Kim just stood there. Just before the plasma struck, a blue shield engulfed the young girl, the plasma clung on tenaciously but after a few seconds it dissipated, swiftly followed by the shield. Reaching over her head, Kim stripped off the Tee-shirt, swiftly followed by the combat trousers, revealing the concealed battle suit. "Care to try that again?"

"You know Kimmie, I always thought that suit was cheating." With a mock hurt tone in her voice, Shego wagged a finger. "But then I found this." She swept up the remote from the desk and pointed it at her enemy. Kim tried to close the gap and engage, but with one push of a button, the young girl suddenly found herself unable to move.

A few more combinations of button presses, and her left arm suddenly swung up and hit her on the side of her face, eliciting a laugh from her tormenter.

"I wonder if I can get you to dance a jig?" Shego speculated as she arrogantly waved the remote under Kim's nose. "It's amazing what Dementor left lying around you know."

Understanding finally dawned as Kim finally realised how completely she had been set up. "This isn't as secret weapons facility, it's Dementor's lair." She desperately strained, seeking to move from the spot where she was frozen, at the mercy of her arch foe. Another thought crossed her mind, and she stared at her enemy in disbelief. "You sent the email? Why?"

Shego was quietly impressed as Kim figured out everything in such a short time. She applauded briefly in a patronising manner, relishing the feeling of having the upper hand, but this wasn't what she was here for, she wanted more.

"Why? To find out who's the best of course." Shego walked back over to the console and turned to face the captive teen. "But first, let's level the playing field."

Kim watched in apprehension as the remote was levelled once more. She fixed on the deliberate movements of the slender fingers as one by one, they punched in a new combination.

Shego, concentrated on the task at hand. She had worked this through in her head many times, but she had to be sure. As she pressed the last button, a smile of satisfaction touched her lips as the suit's field was activated briefly before flaring out. It swiftly faded however, when a shower of sparks engulfed the young woman inside the suit.

Blinking away the light images imprinted on her retinas, her heart lurched as she heard the cry of pain as the suit discharged it's energy in one rapid surge.

"Kimmie?" The hint of concern inappropriate in the circumstances, Shego, having finally cleared her vision, carefully approached the prone figure lying slumped on the floor.

"You are so going to pay for that." Green eyes peered up at the figure standing over her, fixing it with a gaze of steely determination. Pushing herself up from the floor, Kim Possible settled into a stance, finally achieving her center as she focussed on the task at hand.

Shego responded in kind. Rear foot pointing sideways with knee bent, front foot extended towards her foe, and hands covering head and torso in a defensive pose, she prepared to finally face her ultimate challenge. It was then that Drakken decided to enter the room.

"Right Shego, I've just set the self..." His voice faded as his jaw dropped at the sight of the two women facing off. "Kim Possible? What are you doing here?"

He was ignored as neither combatant could afford to spare any thought to outside distractions. Shego was the one to move first. Leaping forward, her hands flared with green light at the last moment, seeking to distract her opponent in any way possible. Kim was far too used to her comet powers, however, and sidestepped the attack, knocking the dangerous hands away from her body. It was then that she realised her predicament. The area in which they were fighting was enclosed on two sides by curving desks, limiting the amount of manouvering room available to her. Shego quickly realigned her attack and began to drive forwards, using her greater weight and strength to great advantage. Kim realised she had to do something quickly or she was in serious trouble.

Shego's mouth twitched with triumph as she finally managed to corner the fast moving teenager. Although Kim's defence was good, each time one of her attacks was deflected sent a jarring pain through her bones, she knew that Kim was feeling it too. Judging by the grimace on her face after a particularly desperate block, she knew she was winning. Eventually pain and tiredness took it's toll, and Shego's attacks were starting to break through. The two women were to close for kicks now, only a flurry of punches and a frantic defence as the green thief pressed her advantage. Kim's defence finally failed, and a plasma powered fist smashed into her chest. With a cry of pain, Kim staggered back, her legs hit the edge of the console, and she fell sideways to the floor.

It was the luckiest break she had got all evening, as the followup punch missed by an inch and slammed into the desk instead. Not one to fail to take advantage of any chance, her leg swung in a hook, catching her enemy just behind the knee. With a curse, it was Shego's turn to trip, catching herself on the desk in front of her, but giving Kim a chance to roll away.

This manouver took her to the top of the three steps leading up to the central dais. Knowing she couldn't stay where she was, Kim pushed herself up, and stumbled down the stairs. Her arms were badly bruised, and her ribs kept up a constant ache due to the punishment they had received, but she was no longer confined by the enclosed space. Shego didn't give her any time to catch her breath however. With a snarl, she leapt over the desk and swung a flaming fist towards Kim's face.

With room to move, however, Shego's strength advantage was suddenly countered by the incredible agility of the cheerleader. Kim was like quicksilver, never in one place long enough for Shego to pin her down, but instead she relied on the counterattack, able to find small gaps as tiredness began to affect her attacker. Punches of her own started to connect, and the tide of the battle began to turn.

Dr Drakken was mesmerised by the sight before him. Both fighters were at the top of their game, it was like a dance, with fluid movements belying the deadly intent behind their actions. Drakken had seen many fights in his day, and could see that there was a difference between the common street fights between thugs and the magnificent display before him. The most notable exception being the complete lack of crippling attacks thrown by either of the two participants. From what he had seen on the seedier edge of life, attacks on eye joints, eye gouges and various other dirty tactics were a favourite of the bruisers usually seen brawling in the alleys. That was assuming that they didn't pull knives and end up stabbing each other to death. So mesmerised was he with the action, and so involved were the opponents in their fight, that the tinny voice eminating from the speaker on the main desk went unnoticed.

"Self Destruct sequence activated. Fifteen minutes to detonation."

It took a few moments for Drakken to realise that he had rarely had the opportunity to watch such a display before. Usually he was too busy with his own life and death struggle with Kim's sidekick. But now there was no sign of him.

The two combatants had separated for a while, partly as each tried to catch their breath, but mainly because Shego had fired up a massive plasma flare in an attempt to get Kim to back off, so that she could reorganise her defences. From a feeling of triumph a minute ago, she now realised that the advantage lay with the superior speed of her opponent.

The sight of Drakken just standing watching, instead of doing what he usually did, triggered the same thought in her mind. There was no sign of Kim's idiot boyfriend. Looking for any advantage, Shego resorted once again to the power of her taunt as she sought to unbalance her enemy.

"What no buffoon?" Shego was still breathing heavily after all her exertions but her voice betrayed none of her exhaustion. After all, she was a consummate liar. "Did you lose him on the way in, or have you finally dumped the freeloading waste of space?"

The sneering comments had an astonishing affect on Kim. With a roar of rage, the smaller woman charged her larger counterpart in an uncontrolled assault."Shut your fucking mouth." The swearing distracting Shego more than the ill disciplined punches she had no trouble deflecting.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Shego's voice betrayed equal parts of puzzlement and strain as she focused on keeping the enraged teenager at bay. "Wait a minute." The penny dropped as the older woman suddenly realised why her words were having such an astounding effect. "You didn't dump him, he dumped YOU? Oh that is so rich."

The mocking laughter drove Kim even more into the red mist that was descending on her. Her attacks became even wilder, and Shego was now having no trouble in keeping her at bay. Especially as the young girl's strength was beginning to wane, wasted by her lack of discipline.

"Shego, we don't have time for this!" Drakken's voice echoed across the room, followed by the tinny sound of the speaker. "Ten Minutes to detonation." Shego wished she could prolong her triumph longer, but Drakken was right. It was time to finish this. Ducking under yet another wild punch, Shego swept up her right fist, the thumb resting on the second joint of her index finger, leaving the thumb knuckle protruding to the side of the hand. It was this joint that connected, but in a precision strike, it drove into the redhead's solar plexus.

An excruciating stab of pain shot through Kim's body, and her legs simply gave way beneath her. Collapsing on the floor, gasping for breath, she barely registered the black boots that slowly walked in front of her vision.

"Don't lie there too long Pumpkin." The mocking voice rang through her ears, as she fought for air. "This whole place is gonna blow in about eight minutes."

Laughing, Shego walked over to the open window where Drakken was waiting. Hanging down from outside the building was a rope ladder, thrown down from the flying car, by one of the henchmen. Turning back to face her victim, Shego was pleased to see that Kim was already starting to recover, and had pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. "So long Kimmie. Till next time. I'll send you an email."

The derisive laughter as the two criminals exited the building, drove straight into Kim Possible's psyche. Pushing herself to her feet, she staggered over to the window, just in time to see the ladder retracted back up into the body of the craft. "My life is not your plaything." The snarl was mirrored by a look of sheer determination as she reached down to her belt and pulled out what looked like a hair dryer. Unnoticed by the occupants of the vehicle, a grappling hook shot out of the window and wrapped itself around the nearest runner underneath the car.

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Ron Stoppable was annoyed. He had got caught up in a snarl of traffic on the freeway, that even on a bike he found difficult to get through. Also it had just started raining, which would slow him down even more. Finally, however he reached his exit, and with a roar, he opened up the throttle and shot off down the open road away from the town. Half an hour later, the only traffic he had seen being a convoy of trucks coming the other way, he swung the bike sideways as he pulled up on the ridge previously occupied by his girlfriend. He knew she had been here, he had passed her car moments earlier hidden behind a copse of trees. He looked out towards the complex Wade had directed him to, just as the clouds finally broke, allowing the moon to shine brightly illuminating the scene.

He saw some kind of flying vehicle rise up from the roof of the complex, and as it flew across the face of the full moon, he could see a small speck dangling from beneath the aircraft but rapidly rising up to meet it. Knowing this had to be Kim, he revved the engine and was about to ride down the ridge, when the building below suddenly shook, and a loud rumble came from the earth.

The loading bay doors were the first to go, blasted off their hinges by the fireball that billowed out from the newly created egress. A couple of seconds later, secondary explosions could be heard from various points in the building, and finally, the office section disintegrated as it too was engulfed in flame.

Ron instinctively reared back, and covered his eyes in an attempt to preserve the night vision. Opening his eyes again, he looked for the escaping aircraft in the moonlight. He quickly found it again, noting that the dangling figure had apparently managed to reach the craft as it appeared to hover in the air for a moment before suddenly shooting straight up into the air. As he watched the young man looked on horrified as he saw something fall from the flying machine, but was even more distressed as the vehicle suddenly became engulfed in a flowing white ball of energy, which flared into brilliance and vanished. As his eyes adjusted to the low light he noted with a sick feeling in his stomach that the flying machine had vanished with it.

Nausea flooded over him, as his heart and stomach churned with the fear that engulfed him. Unsure what to do, but knowing he had to do something, he sat back up on his bike and rode off towards what was left of the building.

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Shego was grinning like the cat that got the cream while Drakken looked on with a resentful look on his face.

"What was she doing there?" His voice petulant with affronted pride. "This has nothing to do with her, she should leave us alone. We are respected citizens doesn't she know?"

"Oh blow it out your ass boss." Shego was too high to care about her employers fragile ego. "What a night."

Just as she moved to take over the controls, however, the car suddenly lurched to the right and she staggered at the sudden imbalance. "What the ...?" She turned and looked over the side of the car

"Oh for crying out loud." Exasperation at the ridiculous sight before her colouring her tone. "Give it up Princess, find your own way home."

Tossing a ball of plasma over the side, knowing full well that there was no way of hitting the target, she flipped over the side of the car, landing on the runner a few inches away from the grapple. "Want me to give you a hand in getting off?"

Kim was now about ten feet away from reaching the runner, the auto rewind feature of her hairdryer grappling hook, never more appreciated, when a bolt of green flame flew past, and her green clad tormentor suddenly appeared crouching on the steel bar under the car. She didn't think she was going to make it, but the plasma didn't strike. Beneath her, there was a roar as of thunder as the explosives buried in the depths of Dementor's base detonated. Seconds later, the office building blew, casting bright light into the air, swiftly followed by fast moving debris.

The first wave of projectiles struck the base of the car full on, rocking the vehicle violently. Kim felt herself flung like a rag doll as the shockwave hit, swinging into the underside of the car with a sickening thud. Dazed and in a panic she fell back, just remembering to reactivate the automatic rewind as she sought the dubious safety of the runner. Looking up once more, she was confused to see the black glove extended out, all trace of plasma gone. Her ears didn't seem to be working properly, as she watched the woman above her move her lips, but no sound came out. She did see the eyes widen in fear, however.

The metal strut hit her before she even saw it. Flying through the air, thrown a hundred feet into the air by the force of the explosion, it struck her just above the ear. Shego saw the object approaching but didn't have time to do anything except shout a warning, arm stretched out in a futile attempt to reach the girl now only a couple of feet from safety.

A look of disbelief flashed through the redhead's eyes swiftly followed by terror, before the eyes rolled back up into her head, and her hand let go of the hairdryer. As it slipped free from the device, a gloved hand slapped hard as it caught the unconscious woman's wrist.

Shego had reacted even before a conscious thought had registered the predicament Kim was in. Dangling by one arm and one leg hooked over the runner, she had managed to grab the young girl's wrist just before she slipped out of reach. Clinging on for dear life, she turned her head and yelled at Drakken to land.

Dr Drakken had problems all of his own. The blast had tossed the flying car like a rag doll in a whirlwind, throwing both the doctor, and the lone henchman who was actually flying the machine out of their seats. Drakken found himself wedged under the control panel looking up at a metal box, covered in lights and sprouting wires connecting it to the drive mechanism of the vehicle. A loud CLONK sounded from the depths of the engine system, and to his horror, he saw a row of lights suddenly activate. Desperately he banged it with his fist, in an attempt to stop the process, but a second row of lights began to illuminate one by one. The quantum interspatial vortex generator had activated, and there was no way of stopping it.

"Oh Snap!"

When Shego heard those words, she knew something was terribly wrong. "Dr D." she shouted over the rising sound of the engine. "You've got to land RIGHT NOW!"

Instead of lowering itself to the ground, however, the flying car shot up in a steep climb, rapidly reaching 500 feet, the preprogrammed minimum height for the vortex generator to safely activate. Shego had to concentrate on hanging on, both to the unconscious girl in her right hand, and the metal strut in her left. Any attempt to pull Kim up to the safety of the runner was a failure, the previous fight had taken too much of a toll. She probably couldn't have done it even if fresh, if she was honest with herself. She might have enhanced strength through her comet powers, but she wasn't Hego.

Once the car had levelled off once more, she turned her head to yell at Drakken, only to be faced with the sight of his worried face peering over the side of the car.

"Shego, you have to get back inside, the vortex generator has activated and anything not protected by the inner quantum sphere will be destroyed." His voice betrayed his panic as he ineffectually held out a hand for his sidekick to take.

Without any free hands herself, Shego ignored the futile gesture. "Help me get her up." she shouted once more trying to lift the dead weight in her right hand up to where Drakken could pull her in.

Drakken, however, was watching a phenomena that was beginning to manifest itself around the craft. Arcs of electricity began to flicker in a sphere around the machine and an ominous hum started to eminate from the metal box on the dashboard.

"Drakken!" Shego's yell cut through is mesmerised trance. "Help me pull her in." Her voice was rising in panic as she too noticed the sparks.

Drakken looked down at his second in command. "There's no time!" he shouted back. "You will have to let her go!"

The agonised look in his henchwoman's eyes was reflected by his own tortured gaze. "There's no other way. You have to let go!" Drakken repeated his plea as the sparks around the vehicle intensified. A misty opaque sphere was forming much closer in around the inside of the car so that she could barely see her employers face. She had run out of time.

Shego closed her eyes as she faced the decision she would have to make. Unable to look, her chest heaved, and she emitted a sob as she willed her fingers to release their grip. With a final shriek of frustration and fear, Shego let go.

Moments later, the sparks around the vehicle coalesced into a glowing ball of light engulfing the machine. Less than a second later, the sphere winked out, taking the car and it's occupants with it, leaving an unconscious Kim Possible behind to begin her long fall back to earth.


	5. Ch 4 She ain't heavy

Height:500m Velocity:10m/second

"Great idea fuckwit, now what?".

Height:490m Velocity:20m/second

The same moment kept replaying over and over inside her head in a desperate attempt to rationalise the decision she had made, but each time it was the same. Her eyes closed, she screamed in frustration, and let go of the runner she had been holding on to, slipping away from the vehicle as the electrical manifestations intensified.

Height:470m Velocity:30m/second

Shego finally stopped mentally berating herself, and applied her attention to her current predicament. Her right hand still held the unconscious redhead's wrist. By reaching out with her left, she managed to grab the arm with both hands and began to pull the girl towards her.

Height:440m Velocity:40m/second

The wind buffetted both bodies as they fell, making Shego's task even harder, but her comet enhanced strength proved sufficient. She managed to wrap a leg around Kim's torso, pulling her into an embrace where she could finally get a secure grip.

Height:400m Velocity:50m/second

Shego's other leg finally managed to wrap itself around the body. With her charge finally secure, she moved her arms further down until they were under her armpits, and she could finally pull the unconscious body up to a level where her arms and legs could wrap around it completely.

Height:350m Velocity60m/second

Above them, the sky suddenly became illuminated in a bright light, as the vortex generator vanished on it's impromptu journey to who knows where. That flash of light allowed a brief glimpse of the earth below. Farmland stretched away as far as the eye could see, the only feature being the smudge on the horizon that signified Middleton. Darkness fell again as the craft above disappeared and the sphere winked out. Displaced air filling the suddenly created vaccuum with a clap like thunder.

Height:290m Velocity:70m/second

There was only one possible chance, and considering that it relied on one of Dr Drakken's devices she didn't have much hope. Still, it was that or leave a red smeared crater in the rapidly approaching ground. Without letting go of her hold on Kim, she stretched out a finger and touched a stud in the collar of her catsuit.

Height:220m Velocity:80m/second

Triggered by the small electrical pulse sent through microfilaments woven into the suit's fabric, a section of cloth detatched itself from Shego's back, four incredibly thin strands trailing from it, as the mini parachute deployed.

Height:140m Velocity:90m/second

The parachute's limit was 150lbs, and Shego weighed 126. As it finally reached it's full extension and opened, it was subjected to a force of 240lbs at a velocity of nearly 100meters per second. It simply wasn't designed to take that level of strain. Even as she felt the yank on her shoulders as the canopy opened, the jerk ripped the filaments away from their attachments to the underlying suit, and the parachute almost immediately collapsed.

Height:50m Velocity:40m/second

Shego had played her final card. Her fate, and that of the young girl she was clutching so tightly now lay in the hands of the gods. As a final act, the older woman tucked her shoulder in and used her airspeed to flip the two of them around so that she was now falling back first, with one hand holding Kim's head steady against her shoulder. Closing her eyes to avoid having to watch the approaching ground, she braced herself for impact

Height:10m Velocity:50m/second

The hit, when it came, felt like a pile driver on the back. It was accompanied by the sound of splintering wood, as they crashed through the roof of an old barn surrounded by fields of cattle fodder. Her lungs exploded as the air was forced out of them by the impact, and an eruption of pain caused her to scream in agony as she felt something pierce her abdomen.

The two women hit the hayloft a fraction of a second later. Shego was no longer aware of anything other than the pain in her side, and didn't notice the point at which she lost her hold on Kim. Her fall finally came to an abrupt halt as the hayloft floor held, eventually coming to rest as her head struck a wooden beam with a sickening crunch. Everything went black.

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Laughter jerked her into wakefulness. She was lying in the grass, the sun shining brightly into her eyes, causing them to squint as she peered up at the face looking down on her. The head moved slightly, eclipsing the sun, allowing Shego to see the smiling eyes and delicate mouth pursed with amusement, all framed by a cascade of flowing auburn locks.

"How can anyone be that clumsy?" The young girl looked about thirteen, just the slightest swell to her chest and hips suggesting the onset of puberty. "Honestly Sheeg! I give up sometimes, I really do."

"It's alright for you, you lanky beanpole." The thought sprang out of childish resentment, as she watched her best friend spin away, throwing herself into a perfect cartwheel just for the sheer exuberance of it all.

"Hey Meg, wait up." Her voice tinged with a slight whine that made her cringe when she heard it. Pushing herself up from the ground, her pale pink skin flushed slightly and betraying a sheen of sweat she ran after her best friend.

Giggling, the two girls raced each other until by unspoken consent they threw themselves down in the meadow grass, laughing trying to catch their breath after their exertions. Feeling the other girl's gaze, Shego rolled onto one arm and looked back at the beautiful face before her. An infectious smile was on her friend's lips, causing her own to curve upwards in a happy smile.

"Best Friends Forever!" The redhead's voice gleeful as she recited what had become their mantra. "Best Friends Forever." Shego replied, smiling lazily back.

"We're tight right?" The worried tone in her friend's voice caused Shego's face to drop into a frown. The air felt colder as the sun vanished behind a cloud, the previously golden light of early afternoon darkening. "I mean we'll never let anyone get between us?"

"Of course not!" Shego's tone was indignant at the thought. The sky grew darker still, heavy black clouds were racing across the sky, driven by a suddenly chill wind.

"Well, what about her?" Shego's head turned to see what her friend was looking at. There, lying in the grass near by, was another redhead. Head turned away so that the face couldn't be seen, her leg lay at an unnatural angle and her white catsuit was torn, revealing battered and bloody flesh.

"Are you going to let her die too?" The voice was suddenly accusing, causing Shego to turn her head back to look at her friend. The face, once so enchanting and full of life, was drawn tight with pain. Hands clutched an abdomen, failing to stem the spreading stain of blood on her white top. "Like you did with me!"

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Shego jerked awake with a scream, pain shooting through her head and side as she violently twitched, her body reacting to some internal alarm bringing her back to consciousness. Bile rose in her throat as agony burned throughout her body. Just barely managing to turn her head to one side, the battered thief vomited, head collapsing back into the straw that had saved her once the convulsions had finished.

Slowly her body adjusted to the level of pain she was feeling. Laying still, she waited till the stabbing fire in her skull receded, allowing her to think. With eyes closed, she gently traced one hand down her body, fingers tentatively brushing her torso until they hit the object she could feel impaled in her side.

Delicately tracing the circumference, it felt like a 4x2 piece of timber piercing the left side of her abdomen. The fact that she was laying on her back meant that it hadn't gone right through her body, for which she supposed she should be grateful, but it didn't make it any easier to face up to what she had to do next. Both hands moved down to grasp the piece of wood. It felt like about a foot and a half protruding from her body, so at least she could get a good grip. Swallowing down another rush of bile, she grasped the stake with both hands and tried to pull it out of her body.

The pain was excruciating and an agonised scream ripped itself from her lips, all the more distressing as the beam failed to move, held fast by the wound. Sobbing with the pain, Shego grabbed it once more, and this time with a twist to break the suction, she felt it move several inches as she extended her arms. Desperate now, she repositioned her hands, grabbing the beam, now slick with her own blood, and with a tortured yell, ripped the offending item out of her body.

She fought off unconsciousness, just barely, acutely aware of the sensation of blood pouring out of the freshly opened wound. Panting with the effort, she placed her right hand against the hole in her side, and biting down hard, she let her plasma flare, searing the flesh as she cauterised the wound. Collapsing back into the straw, she lay still for a few minutes, waiting for the debilitating waves of pain rolling through her body to subside.

"Dammit Kimmie, the things I do for you. Should have used the bitch as a crash mat." The harsh words, spoken to noone in particular were belied by the casual tone in which they were expressed. Opening her eyes once more, Shego casually looked across to where she expected Kim to be laying.

"KIM!" The panic in her voice, was matched by a sudden burst of energy as she rolled over onto her hands and knees. Kim was nowhere to be seen. Her brow tightened as fresh pain stabbed into her skull, and one hand pressed against the newly burned side as she pushed herself up onto one knee. A quick burst of adrenalin allowed her to push up completely and to finally regain her feet. Spatters of blood on the straw egged her on, as she clumsily staggered towards the edge of the hayloft. Collapsing to her knees she steadied herself with her free hand, and leaned over to peer down to the floor of the barn. There, lying in a pool of straw, lay the young redheaded girl, leg bent awkwardly and head lolling to one side. Shego's attention, however, was fixed on the pool of blood slowly collecting at the back of the unconscious woman's head.

Normally, getting down from here would not have been given a second thought, but Shego blanched at the thought of dropping down from the hayloft to the barn floor. Instead, discretion won the day when she saw a ladder fixed to the wall a few feet to her left. Staggering back to her feet, she lurched over to it and slowly clambered her way down.

The effort was not consequence free, however. She could feel the slight trickle of blood running down her side, but there was nothing more she could do about it now. Ignoring her own plight, she hobbled her way to where the young teen was lying. Dropping to her knees, she swiftly checked for signs of life, and was relieved feel a pulse.

One look at the leg showed it was broken, there was no way that angle was natural. The more pressing concern, however, was the head wound. Careful not to move Kim more than necessary, Shego risked a look at the back of the hero's head. The hair was matted with blood, but more worryingly was the flap of skin separated from the skull, and Oh God, was that bone she could see?

Fighting back nausea, Shego looked around for something to bind the wound. Looking up in desperation, she noticed the flapping remains of the ruined microchute, hanging from one of the roof beams, snapped short by their crash landing. With a Herculean effort, Shego managed to regain her feet and shuffle over to where one of the filaments hung down to only a few feet above the ground. One swift pull, and the sound of ripping fabric later, and the tattered piece of fabric fluttered to the ground. Picking it up was a trial in itself. She couldn't spare the energy to bend down, and eventually had to resort to just pulling on the thread in her hand until the main section of the parachute was in easy reach. Returning to Kim's side, she ripped a section of the cloth away, and then tore a few strips with which she bound a pad of the cloth over the head wound, carefully folding down the skin back over the scalp before she did so. As an afterthought, she tore another strip, and used this to stuff the remains of the chute into the hole in her side and to secure it as tightly as was possible under the circumstances.

Once the most pressing injury had been taken care of, Shego used the razor sharp claws built into her gloves to slit open Kim's battlesuit from waist to neck, the deactivated suit no longer having the ability to repair itself. Pulling apart the tear she had just made, revealed a massive purple bruise on the young girl's right side, stretching from just under her sports bra, right down to just above her hip. Suspecting broken ribs, and possible internal bleeding, there was nothing to be done about this, Kimmie needed a hospital and now. There were also lacerations to the skin on her hip the cause of which which was swiftly revealed when the shattered remains of the Kimmunicator were located in a pouch on the suits belt.

"Great!" The thought flashed through Shego's mind as she threw away the useless lump of plastic. "Just when the Nerdlinger could have proved himself useful for once."

The final injury was the easiest to treat. there were plenty of good lengthed pieces of wood just lying around, and one was quickly utilised as a splint for Kim's broken leg, tied on with one of the strings of the faithful parachute.

Once she had stablised Kim as much as was possible under the circumstances, her thoughts turned to the weighty problem of getting proper medical attention. Eyes cast around the barn, slowly adjusting to the reduced light. There was something there, hidden in the shadows under the hayloft. Squinting in the dark, she could just make out the outline of a wheel. Her left hand flared in the darkness, casting a sickly green light on the surrounding walls. There, looking rather battered and misused, was an old tractor.

"Come on Kimmie, we're getting out of here." The words fell on deaf ears, and the young girl's head lolled to one side, as black gloved hands seized her under the arms and began to drag her backwards towards the waiting farm vehicle. Groaning under the strain, and moaning in pain as the wound in her side throbbed under the punishment it was taking, Shego took a step towards her goal. Looking down at the legs dragging through the dirt, one heavily splinted, Shego winced at the thought of the damage she was doing, but couldn't see that she had any other choice.

"It's a good thing you're out of it. My head couldn't take the screams right now." The words muttered through gritted teeth, as waves of pain stabbed through her side. Shego knew she couldn't afford to stop. If she did, she might not be able to get going again. Step after heavy step, the ordeal went on. Each time her foot went back, the weight of her burden pulled at her injuries in a fresh assault on her body. Her breathing was heavy and forced, and her eyes were closed as the effort of keeping the lids open proved a luxury she couldn't afford.

With a grunt of pain, she backed into an obstacle breaking the rhythm she had managed to fall into. With a laboured look over her shoulder, she saw that she had reached one of the main struts supporting the hayloft. Only a few feet away was her goal. With a last ditch effort, she side stepped the pillar and once again began the slow measured tread that had got her this far.

When she finally felt metal on her back, she leaned against the tractor with a sigh of relief, just managing to stop herself from letting go of the body she was carrying. Her arms throbbed with the effort, and she allowed herself a few moments of rest before facing up to the next daunting challenge to face her. Turning sideways, she finally managed to push Kim's body into the gap between the steering wheel and the seat. While keeping one arm under the young girl's shoulders, Shego bent her legs and managed to get her other arm under Kim's knees. With a grunt of effort, she straightened her legs and shoved the body up into the seating area. With one hand keeping Kim from sliding off the other side, Shego gripped the steering wheel with her other hand and pulled herself up into the driving seat. Once more she felt a tearing pain in her side, and the sensation of trickling blood. Praying to any god she thought would listen, she ripped off the cover to the steering column to reveal the starting mechanism. A few crossed wires later, and the engine roared into life. Pulling Kim up into a more upright position where she would be more secure, Shego slipped the tractor into gear and it began to move.

The barn doors burst open as Shego drove the engine full throttle out into the night air, abruptly cutting back on the speed she left the confines of the barn and realised the latest trial she would have to face.

"Why'd he have to plough the bloody field?" Still, she couldn't complain too hard considering the luck she had already benefitted from. Fortunately, the gate to the road was near by, and finally breaking free of the furrowed earth, she turned out onto the relatively smooth dirt road, heading towards the distant lights of Middleton.

About two miles down the track, she came across a highway. A proper tarmaced road which finally gave her a chance to get her bearings. There was no way she was going to get to a hospital in time riding her current vehicle, she had to find alternative transportation, and she knew just where to get it. Scattered amongst the farms and supporting agricultural industries, the great and the good of Upperton and Middleton had taken advantage of the downturn in the farming economy to snap up derelict and abandoned farm houses and other rural buildings to convert into smart country retreats. With the destruction caused by the Lowardian invasion, these had become the refuge of rich industrialists and city traders escaping the dust and disruption of the huge reconstruction work that had been carried out in the city.

Shego had taken a professional interest in the business of these tycoons. She hadn't indulged in much house breaking recently, her own wealth meant she only stirred herself if there was an interesting challenge involved, but she regularly read the investment magazines, keeping a sharp eye on the markets as she managed her portfolio with shrewd business sense. One article stuck in her mind from a month or so back, about a particular businessman who appeared to have more money than taste, and a thick enough skin to want to flaunt it to the world. She knew the location of his current abode and, unfortunately for him, she knew he had something that she desperately wanted.

The next twenty minutes were an uncomfortable ordeal. The tractor was not a particularly smooth ride and her arm, which had to keep a hold of Kim, was beginning to cramp. Her headache had dulled to a low throb, but her side was giving her cause for concern. The sensation of trickling blood had eased, but she didn't know if it had stopped or if she was just so used to the feeling that she didn't notice it any more. Furthermore, her concentration was starting to wander. Her eyes were heavy, and she had to focus hard on the road to prevent her mind from wandering. It was a relief when she finally reached her destination.

The gate barring entry to the converted farmhouse was impressive. Wrought iron, with two inch thick bars, they were protected from ram raids by retractable bollards in front. Shego bypassed it completely by blowing a hole in the wall. Even the plasma blasts were taking their toll now. Her arm was shaking as she finally lowered it after clearing an entrance into the grounds. But with her target in sight, nothing was going to stop her now. The tractor bumped and rattled over the delicately manicured lawn as she sped towards the landing pad, on which sat a brand new Bell 430 executive helicopter. The owner had been fulsome in his praise for the quiet, smooth ride it afforded him as he commuted between the office and his house in the country. Shego was going to put it to better use now.

She drove the tractor to within twenty feet of the aircraft and finally cut the engine. She slid off the seat, and let Kim's body fall over her shoulder. A slight moan escaped her lips as her body protested at the latest mistreatment, but her adrenalin was up again and she quickly got her charge loaded into one of the passenger seats and strapped her in. Just as she slid the door shut, however, and went to climb into the cockpit, there was a blast, and she felt stinging pain from her leg, as she was peppered with a shotgun blast.

Fired from long range, the pellets had too wide a spread and too low a velocity to do much damage, but the sound of them pinging on the side of the precious helicopter, and the additional pain on top of all she had suffered so far, caused her lips to curl into a murderous snarl. Three rapid blasts of green fire, lanced towards the open front door of the house, revealing an old man, frantically trying to reload. His efforts were interrupted as the plasma blasted at his feet, causing him to drop the firearm and scuttle back into the safety of the house. Giving him no more thought, Shego leaned her head against the cockpit door as a wave of tiredness swept over her. With a deep breath, she pushed herself up and swung into the pilot's seat. The helicopter looked ready for take-off. A helmet was sitting on the passenger seat and was quickly donned. One quick flight check later, and the main rotor slowly began to pick up speed.

"Hang in there Kimmie." Shego called over her shoulder, as she adjusted the collective, and they slowly lifted off from the ground. Swinging away from the house, Shego steered the aircraft up into the night sky. Levelling off at about a thousand feet, and picking up speed, she pointed the nose towards the lights on the horizon. 

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It was a quiet night at Middleton airport, the scheduled flights had gone without any major glitches, and air traffic control was settling down to reduced nighttime operations when the call came through on the emergency channel

"MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. This is November one one niner Echo Hotel, November one one niner Echo Hotel. I have a medical emergency on board, requesting immediate clearance to Middleton Hospital."

The operator jumped at the blaring metallic cry for help that blasted through his headphones, but his training kicked as he quickly scanned his monitor for the transponder signal.

"November one one niner. Please state the nature of your medical emergency."

"White Caucasian female, late teens, unconscious, broken leg, broken ribs, internal bleeding and fractured skull." The measured tone on the other end of the radio was starting to annoy Shego's already strained nerves. "Goes by the name Kim Possible!" she snarled as she attempted to kick this lazy arse out of his apparent lethargy. Her judgement was beginning to deteriorate, and concentrating on flying the machine was becoming more difficult as her head started to swim. Unknown to her, the wound in her side had reopened, and was bleeding heavily, the temporary cauterisation no match for the punishing ordeal she had put herself through.

"November one one niner, you are cleared for Middleton General Hospital, a medical team as been alerted and will meet you on the helipad. Come about to zero eight five and maintain height and speed." The voice maintained it's monotone drone as its owner cleared the airspace for miles centered around the hospital. He'd recognised the name, of course, but his training kept the shock from being reflected in his voice, a rock of calm that helped to keep panicking pilots calm and collected in an emergency. This pilot didn't sound frantic, more like pissed off, but what really worried him was the definite slur he began to detect in the pilot's voice.

Air Traffic Control wasn't the only one listening in that night, however. In a bedroom somewhere in the Middleton area, a computer genius was distracted from his scanning the satellite pictures streaming onto his laptop, by an alarm sounding from one of the many desktop machines he had monitoring the emergency channels. As the message rang out from the speakers, he spat out a mouthful of cola in shock at the mention of his friend's injuries. Recovering rapidly, he quickly made a number of calls.

Elsewhere, deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, powerful supercomputers also heard the call. Word recognition software flagged up a number of triggers, prompting an urgent call to the head office of international organization Global Justice. Two minutes later, a flash transmittion was sitting on Betty Director's desk. One glance at the message, and she too sprang into action, picking up a phone and yelling at Will Du to get in her office right now.

By the time Shego finally crossed the city boundary, she was flying on instinct and willpower alone. Her hand was unsteady on the stick, and the light-headed sensation was getting worse. Swinging past the cranes that clustered around the city centre, all part of the massive rebuilding project that was going on across this part of America, the rooftop helipad of Middleton hospital finally came into view.

Watching the aircraft make it's final approach, a team of two doctors and a couple of nurses, waited by a gurney ready to receive their patient. The city's Air Ambulance had been lost in the destruction caused by the alien invasion, but they still kept a few trolleys up on the roof where they had been used to transfer casualties to the emergency O R. Standing by the trolley bay, far enough away not to interfere, but in a position to see everything, stood an ashen faced Dr Anne Possible.

She had always faced up to the possibility of her eldest daughter being seriously injured, but now that it had finally happened, she felt sick with fear. The official call from Air Traffic Control had been passed through the switchboard, but the frantic communique from Wade had come directly through to her office. So now she stood, watching the arrival of her little girl but unable to do anything to help her.

"Who's flying that thing?" The thought burned in her mind as she watched the erratic flightpath of the helicopter as it swung around to land. When it did finally touch down, it did so with a noticeable thud, as the pilot seriously misjudged the distance and failed to reduce the speed accordingly. Dr Possible watched as, without waiting for the rotors to stop, one of the doctors rushed up to the rear door of the helicopter and climbed inside. Swiftly, the rest of team followed, and one of the nurses also climbed in to assist. As they worked to assess the injuries, the pilot finally cut the power to the rotor, and the blades began to slow. Feeling helpless, Dr Possible had to stand and watch as first five then ten minutes passed, her vision obscured by the medical personnel standing around the doorway. Finally, there appeared to be movement as the gurney was brought up, and a heavily strapped body was lifted out and gently placed on the trolley.

One nurse held a drip above her daughter's head as the team began to move swiftly to the lift doors. Dr Possible turned to follow. She would never be allowed to treat her own family, and if the injuries were as bad as reported, she wouldn't have trusted herself to be able to do the job properly, but that didn't help her feel less useless as she watched someone else work to save a life that was more precious to her than her own. She really wasn't coping well at all with this situation she knew, and it was only going to get worse as she heard one of the doctors call ahead to see if an Operating Theatre was ready, as the patient had severe internal bleeding and possibly a ruptured spleen. Faced with the prospect of hours pacing around the emergency ward, she shuddered as she remembered the faces of patient's families she had witnessed in the past. White with shock, and eyes empty except for the faint hint of despair, she had watched as they could do nothing but wait, all hope resting on the skill of the surgeon. Her mind shied away from the reality that she was now in that same position, when she was suddenly struck by the fact that the pilot was still in the helicopter. Drawn partly by curiosity, partly by the feeling that something wasn't right, but mainly by the attraction of having something to do, to distract her from the reality of her daughter's injuries, Dr Possible took one last look as the lift doors closed, and then purposefully walked over to the cockpit door and opened it.

Only the straps holding her into the pilot's chair prevented Shego from falling out onto the roof. Even so, Anne staggered as she automatically reacted to catch the body that slumped into her arms. Gently she eased the unconscious pilot back into the seat, her face blanched as she noticed one of her hands was now sticky with blood. Acting swiftly, she brought over one of the spare trolleys, and released the straps, allowing her to lift the woman out onto the trolley.

In the dim light, all she could see was a woman in her early twenties, dressed in a tattered dark flightsuit, that appeared have been ripped from her back. As she lay the body down on the trolley, a sodden mass of cloth fell away from one side to reveal an ugly looking wound, blood leaking from the hole. Pushing the gurney towards the lift doors, she passed the time waiting for the elevator to arrive by taking off the pilot's helmet.

A shock of long black hair was released as the helmet came away. At the same time, the head lolled sideways revealing a face that, despite the loss of blood, was still shaded a hint of green. Ms Go had always dressed and styled her hair conservatively when staying at the Possible household, but Mrs Possible had seen Shego in her more normal incarnation as well. She couldn't understand what the relationship was between her daughter and the arch enemy that had dogged Kim's steps since the age of sixteen, but she knew from the time Ms Go had stayed at their house, that Kim at any rate held some regard and even affection for the woman. Furthermore, she knew of at least two times that the ex-thief had saved her daughter's life, three now apparently, and this time at considerable danger to herself. She didn't want to think about how Shego and Kim ended up together tonight of all nights, it pointed to some kind of manipulation by the older woman, but she was a doctor and she had a patient to deal with. When the lift doors opened, she pushed the trolley inside and hit the button for the fifth floor. 

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It was a busy night for Middleton hospital. A seventeen car pile up on the freeway had the emergency teams rushed off their feet as they desperately sought to handle the sudden rush of casualties. Triage nurses had patients lining the corridors as they urgently assessed those with the most critical need. Adding to the confusion, moments after Kim Possible had been transferred into an Operating Theatre on the fourth floor, the doors of the hospital burst open as, despatched on the direct orders of Dr Director herself, a squad of twenty, heavily armed, GJ agents arrived. Their orders were simple, protect Kim Possible from any seeking to take advantage of her weakened state. Many of them owed their lives to Kim, and were in no mood to take no for an answer.

By the time Dr Possible exited the lift, the hospital was effectively under GJ control. The local commander had dispatched four agents to guard the operating room explicitly, but the rest of his force was dispersed around the immediate area, covering all entrances into the floor in question, as well as patrolling the floors above and below, providing a defence in depth against any possible incursion. Hastily covering her charges distinctive clothing with a green hospital sheet, she wheeled the trolley down the corridor, passing two agents clad in bullet proof vests and carrying automatic weapons. One look at the nametag on her white coat, however, solicited a respectful salute and she was allowed to carry on her way.

Manouvering the trolley into an examination room, Anne Possible closed the door behind her and heaved a sigh of relief. The world was a much more dangerous place after the invasion, with a number of minor countries having to fend off insurgency groups, a fact reflected by the increased firepower carried by international agencies such as Global Justice as they sought to maintain stability.

"Not bad Doc." The voice caused her to turn sharply, only to find herself staring into a pair of deep dark eyes. Her attention was also focussed on the unavoidable fact that her would be patient's hand was glowing with green flame.

Shego couldn't focus very well, her vision was blurred as the harsh white light hurt her eyes, and her headache had returned with a vengence. All she could see was someone in a white coat, and although they had helped her evade the forces of law and order, she had never reacted well to doctors at the best of times. It wasn't a habit she was intending to break now.

"Now back off, and no-one will get hurt." she croaked, "much" she added as an afterthought, before launching into a coughing fit that left her lying on her back, wiping the blood from her lips. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself looking into a pair of green eyes that looked strangely familiar.

"And I suggest that you keep the noise down if you don't want to be dragged off by Global Justice." retorted Dr Possible. "Their agents are all over this hospital, and I am sure they would love to find you in your current state. You can't even stand."

Shego's gaze never wavered, she just blinked a couple of times and then sank back onto the trolley wincing with pain. "If you think I am going down without a fight, then forget it." She sighed. "I'll tear this whole damn building down around their ears if I have to."

"Not in my hospital you won't." Dr Possible snapped back. "Now lie back and let me look at that hole in your side."

This did catch Shego by surprise. So much so that she actually propped herself up on her elbows just to look at the doctor in amazement.  
"Interesting bedside manner" she smirked. Dr Possible just lifted one eyebrow in response and busied herself in the instrument drawer, pulling out a probe and moved back by Shego's side. When she lifted up a syringe, however, she was surprised to see her patient's hand raise up to stop her.

"If that is what I think it is" she said, "then you may as well save yourself the trouble. Anaesthetics don't work on me for some reason. Something to do with my altered body chemistry."

"Well I have to use something. I can't go digging about inside you with no pain relief can I. Your screams would bring the whole hospital in here."

"We'll have to do it the old fashioned way then." grimaced Shego. With her right hand she reached down and slipped what looked like a thin leather wallet from a concealed pocket in her cat suit. Dr Possible blanched as she watched her patient lie back into the trolley with a resigned sigh.

"Better get it over with Doc." said Shego placing the wallet in her mouth and biting down hard.

Swallowing down a rush of bile that suddenly filled her throat, Dr Possible took a scalpel and cut away the clothing around the wound. Pausing just to switch on an overhead light, she began to peel back the cloth to get her first good look at what she was dealing with. A muffled gasp escaped Shego's lips as the probe entered the hole, and Dr Possible winced as she tried to minimise the pain she was causing. What she saw did not look good. It appeared that the wound was partially cauterised by some great heat, the source of which she didn't want to contemplate, but the subsequent strenuous actions taken to reach the hospital had caused it to reopen. Unfortunately, the object that had pierced Shego's side had left behind wood splinters that needed clearing out. Also, some of the fabric of her catsuit had also been driven into the wound creating a danger of infection.

"Oh God!" choked Dr Possible as she looked up at her patient's face. Drained white through pain and loss of blood, Shego lay back on the trolley, eyes closed in an attempt to shut out the pain. Sweat poured from her forehead and her jaw was clamped down on the leather between her teeth as a strangled groan emitted from her lips.

"Alright Shego. I've finished for now." Dr Possible reassured her, wiping the sweat from her brow with a soft cloth. Shego's jaws clenched for a few moments longer, then relaxed as the wallet slipped from her jaws. Unable to speak, she just collapsed back into the trolley, gasping in short breaths as she tried to control the shooting pain in her side.

"We need to clean this wound before it infects." the doctor explained as she reached into a drawer and pulled out a set of tweezers. "How are you coping?"

"How the fuck do you think I'm doing?" snarled Shego through gritted teeth. "Just get on with it." she added as she replaced the wallet between her teeth and Dr Possible began to probe the wound again using a pair of tweezers to remove fragments of wood and cloth from the lesion. Fortunately for her, Shego's catsuit was made from very tough fibres, and hadn't shredded as it was forced into her body. To Dr Possible's surprise, it actually came out quite easily. Not so conveniently, however, some of the wooden splinters were quite large, and the flesh appeared to have almost grown around them in an attempt to close the wound in Shego's side. Frowning at this unexpected complication, Dr Possible began to remove the splinters, each time eliciting a whimper of pain from her patient. Dr Possible worked as quickly as she could to remove all the splinters, being extra careful not to leave any behind, tearing the cauterised flesh as she pulled each one out.

Glancing up at her patient after extracting one particularly stubborn splinter, Dr Possible noticed that she had passed out. Taking advantage of the situation, she began to work more quickly, secure in the knowledge that she wasn't causing any more pain. After about twenty minutes, she was satisfied that the wound was clean. Furthermore, there appeared to be signs that the wound was already beginning to close. Recalling some of the stories she had heard about the young woman she was dealing with gave her some confidence that her patient would actually pull through, and she began to bind up the wound with gauze and bandages. By the time Shego came round from her faint, Dr Possbile had finished and was beginning to clean up the mess left from the impromptu surgery.

"Thanks for the patch up Doc." Shego grimaced as she swung her legs from the trolley, "I'm really sorry to do this to you." as she reached for the woman that had just treated her, only to be met by an arm holding out what looked like a bunch of car keys.

Dr Possible turned to face her wouldbe attacker with a serious look on her face. "As your doctor, I really must insist that you refrain from any strenuous activities for a few days." she said. "Turn right out of the room and head through three sets of double doors till you reach the lifts. The access to the carpark is four floors down. Take the second door on the right after Neurology. Look for a red Mercedes soft-top in bay 17."

Taking the keys that were offered, Shego paused to look at her benefactor with a frown. Then, not wishing to put herself out further than necessary, she opened the door and left without saying a word.

"I'd appreciate it if you dumped the car somewhere that would give me half a chance to get it returned." Dr Possible called after her.  
"I'll report it stolen in about four hours."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The walk to the car was a serious trial for Shego. Not only was her side in agony if she tried walking at any speed, but her head was beginning to hurt again, and every now and then, she caught a glimpse of GJ uniforms as they moved around the hospital. Covering herself with a white coat was her first action, as she followed the unknown doctor's advice and headed for the carpark. Fortunately, she didn't run into any trouble and found the required door without any mishap. However, as she entered the carpark, she swayed and fell against the wall, as the world appeared to spin.

Snarling to herself not to be so weak, she pulled herself up, and began to walk towards the only red car she could see. In the back of her mind, she registered the parking space numbers and determined her target vehicle, but her vision was increasingly blurred. Shaking her head to clear her sight, and instantly regretted it as pain stabbed through her brain, she pressed the alarm and door release hob, as she fell against the side of the car. Struggling to even coordinate her fingers to open the car door, she eventually slid into the drivers seat and managed to close the door behind her. Sinking back into the seat she waited for the pain in her head to subside, only for the keys to fall from her hand as she slid into unconsciousness. 


	6. Ch 5 Of Monkies and Men

Of Monkeys and Men

He was sitting at a crossroads wondering which way to go next, when he heard the chime of the communicator. His face remained passive as he heard the news, belying the churning in his stomach and the knot in his throat. With a twist of the throttle, Ron Stoppable turned around and headed back towards Middleton.

He burst through the hospital doors, coming rapidly to an abrupt stop as he registered the two armed guards flanking the reception, faces obscured by helmets and visors, and body armour adding to the inhuman appearance. The gun twitched slightly in the hands of one of the men, before he registered a lone teenager, rather than the half expected raid by some super-villain's goons. After a few seconds, they relaxed slightly and went back to scanning the entrance, leaving Ron to make his way towards the reception desk in a more sedate manner.

"I'm here to see Kim Possible." His voice cracked slightly at the last, overcome with emotion, "I'm Ron Stoppable, her boyfriend."

The receptionist took one look and then recognised him from the many times Kim had brought him when she was meeting up with her mother.

"Of course dear." She offered a sympathetic half smile. "She's up on the fourth floor. Her parents are waiting in the lounge."

Ron didn't wait to thank her, he just turned and walked briskly to the lifts. Pushing the button, he didn't have long to wait before the lift arrived, but as he stepped into the elevator, two young men of oriental appearance slipped into the lift behind him.

"Oh, hi guys." Ron managed a weak smile. "I guess that means Yori is here too?"

The two yamanouchi ninjas offered no reply. Dressed in simple jeans and casual tops, they could have passed for college students except for the steely gaze that never wavered. Feeling rather unnerved by their silence, Ron really wasn't looking forward to when he met their leader. "She really must be pissed."

A couple of doctors entered the lift on the second floor, causing the current occupants to shift position, although Ron noticed that his two escorts positioned themselves between the newcomers and himself. He even caught himself looking at them suspiciously before he stopped himself. "They're even making me paranoid now." The thought flashed through his mind.

Seconds later, the door opened again and Ron and his entourage exited the elevator. Following the corridor round towards the area set aside for families during surgery, he sensed rather than heard the two men following him, so focused on worrying what they were up to, that he never saw the arm that reached out and pulled him into a side passage.

"Yurrk! Oh hi Yori." He couldn't disguise the worry in his voice as he came face to face with his furious bodyguard. The two men following him had vanished as if into thin air

"I swore on my honour to protect you." The muted tone hissed as the angry ninja thrust her face into his. "Pledged my life before I let you come to any harm. As did the others who came with me." Ron swallowed as he watched her beautiful face turn pale with fury, even as her gaze bore deep into his eyes. "But that means nothing to you. You run off without any protection, without any thought what that means to us."

Unable to contain herself any more, Yori pushed him away in. "From now on, you do not leave my sight except when Makoto or Jiro take my place." Her index finger jabbed him in the chest as she drove her point home. "I will not trust my honour to the whim of a foolish boy."

Finally released from her grip, Ron tried to gather together the shreds of his dignity. He could see her point, the ninjas had come a long way to carry out this duty, and risked everything in doing so, but she had to understand that Kim would always come first. Besides, it wasn't as if he was a novice in these situations.

He never got a chance to speak, however. Yori spun away, her voice switching from anger to questioning. It was as if she had read his mind.

"What was she doing, anyway?" The question hung in the air, but Yori gave him no time to answer. "I thought you said she wasn't going on any missions?"

"That was the idea." Ron finally managed to get a word in. "Her parents decided that with the world the way it is at the moment, she would have been swamped, when they wanted her to be concentrating on her college work." He let out a long sigh. "I should have known it wouldn't work."

Yori turned to face him, her expression showing the underlying frustration that had triggered her earlier outburst. "And the next time she goes running off, you will be there risking your life for her!"

"It's what we do." Ron replied with a shrug, his eyes on the floor. "She would do the same for me." His simple statement of intent did more to express his commitment than any emotionally charged rant could ever have done.

Ron turned and began to walk, casting a questioning look when the young woman fell in beside him. "I meant what I said." Came the simple reply. "You do not leave my sight." Before Ron could comment, he turned the corner and walked into the waiting area.

Dr Anne Possible sensed rather than heard the newcomer, absorbed as she was in comforting a distraught Monique. Wade had been thorough with his contacts, and the young girl had arrived moments after Kim's father. The twins were back home asleep, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding during the night. Ron's mother had agreed to babysit, and was at the Possible house with Hana.

All three people sat, or in James Possible's case paced, waiting for news from the operating theatre. Looking up Dr Possible acknowledged his arrival with a nod, Kim's father was more effusive, greeting him with a distracted wave. Ron was startled to notice that Yori was nowhere to be seen, but he was sure she was keeping an eye on him from somewhere. At least her disappearing act gave him one less thing to explain

Sitting down next to Monique, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, eliciting a thin watery smile from the young black girl. There really was nothing to be said, and the four of them stared into space, waiting for the news.

Hours passed, broken occasionally by the arrival of coffee, fetched by whichever person could no longer stand the tension of waiting. Half finished drinks littered the central table, noone having the appetite for more than a sip or two before they went cold.

Finally, there was movement in the corridor, and everyone stood up as a doctor, still dressed in green coveralls entered the room.

Anne Possible had been in this position many times before, although up to now, it had been her arriving to speak to the relatives. She already knew what the doctor was going to say, the set of the shoulders and direct gaze gave her the good news even before his face broke into a smile.

Grabbing Monique around the shoulders, she engulfed her in a hug and sobbed with relief as the doctor explained that surgery had gone well, and Kim was now in the recovery room. The details didn't matter, all she cared about at that moment was that her daughter was going to be alright.

It was left to Dr James Possible to thank the doctor as he explained that the skull had a hairline fracture, that several ribs were broken, and she had suffered extensive internal bleeding, but that she was responding well to treatment and he expected her to have a full recovery.

As the women hugged each other, and James Possible enthusiastically thanked the doctor again and again, Ron sank back into his seat and dropped his head in his hands as relief washed over him.

Another ninety minutes passed before Kim's parents were allowed to go and see her. They returned twenty minutes later, emotionally drained but smiling, as the sight of their daughter, awake and lucid, had confirmed the earlier prognosis by the doctor. Seeing Ron and Monique waiting for further news, they said the nurse would allow the two friends five minutes with Kim before she had to rest. Not wasting any time, Ron and Monique entered the recovery room, ignored by the Global Justice guards standing either side of the door, followed soon after by a petite young nurse who busied herself on the far side of the room while they sat down by Kim's bed.

She was lying, bandaged head resting on several pillows, with her eyes closed when they first sat down. Hearing them enter the room, she let her head fall sideways to face them and opened her eyes to greet them with a tired grin.

"Hey guys." Her voice was hoarse from the tube that had been in her throat, and her smile was weak, but her eyes were clear if showing signs of exhaustion.

"Dammit girl." Monique was swift and to the point. "You better not be putting me through that trauma again any time soon. It's just a good job you're so stubborn. That damn thick skull of yours saved your life." Reaching out a hand, she briefly rested it on her friend's arm, before getting up out of her seat. "I'll leave you two alone." And with a brief pat on Ron's shoulder, she turned and left the room.

Ron found himself alone with his best friend, but couldn't raise his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm sorry." The soft words caused his head to jerk up in surprise not sure he had heard her properly. "I should have trusted you, not jumped to any conclusions." Her arm reached out weakly towards him, but her strength was not up to it, and it fell back onto her chest. "I should at least have given you a chance to explain things." Her eyes closed as even these gentle movements left her exhausted.

"Yeah." Ron went back to staring at the floor by his feet as numerous emotions swept through him. Relief that she was OK warred with fear that she had come so close to death and underneath, barely noticeable, was a sense of annoyance at the guilt she had laid upon him through no fault of his own. That last feeling took him by surprise, but he swiftly suppressed it and forced his voice to take on a more affable tone as he looked up.

"Hey, I should have told you from the start, would have saved both of us a world of pain." Ron had been pondering on what he should say when he finally had to face Kim again, but now he was here, he didn't feel it was the time or the place for explanations.

Kim sank back into the pillows and breathed out heavily as the exertion drained what little strength she had left. By her side, the monitor registered her elevated heart rate and with a low beep, administered a small shot of morphine to counter the pain. Her eyes drifted closed as the relief washed over her, and she lay still.

Ron sat for a while, just watching her chest rise and fall gently as she slept. He knew he should just be grateful that she was OK, but he couldn't help wondering if this is what their life would be like. The constant worry that each mission might be their last. Old fears he had experienced at High School resurfaced as he weighed the life he had known up to now, against the potential he could now see stretching out before him. Was this the kind of life he wanted to live?

Rising to his feet, Ron leaned over Kim's bed and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "No more secrets, I promise. I'll tell you everything when you're better." The words were spoken gently, not really intended to be heard by anyone.

"How about you tell me now?" Ron jerked back in surprise only to see olive green eyes regarding him with a steady gaze. For a moment, his mind froze as it tried to assimilate the fact that she was still awake. Finally, he nodded and sat back down in his chair.

"I guess it all began three weeks ago."

Ron kept his voice low and gentle, the last thing he needed right now was an agitated Kim setting off some alarm or something, but he knew she wouldn't rest until she knew what was going on.

"I had just heard that I had got the job at the restaurant, and was about to call Felix so that we could go celebrate, when Yori swung in through my bedroom window. She wasn't alone either, there were two other Yamanouchi students with her."

Ron paused for breath, wondering how much he should actually tell her right now. Despite his promise, there were some things he was sworn not to reveal, and he still felt bound by his oath. Even more so now, under the circumstances.

"It appears that someone had attacked the school, and the elders thought that I might be the next target, so they dispatched a squad to warn and protect me."

He looked up and gave a sheepish shrug of the shoulders, giving the impression that he was totally embarrassed about the whole situation, which of course he was.

"So you see, Yori is here as my bodyguard until the elders decide that the threat has passed."

"So does Master Sensei think that you are in any real danger, or is it just a precaution?" Kim's voice rasped as her throat protested at the effort of talking, and her eyes drooped shut as another wave of exhaustion swept over her.

"We think he may be in danger because Master Sensei was discovered murdered in his room."

Kim's eyes shot open as the harsh voice came not from the young man sitting by her side, but rather from across the room where the heretofore overlooked nurse stood, arms braced on the table she was standing by. Turning to face the two friends, Yori looked implacable as she acknowledged the shock on both Kim and Ron's faces. "I told you Stoppable San, you would not leave my sight."

Ron winced at the hollow soullessness in her tone, as she voiced the truth they had been hiding from for so long. He knew that the young ninja had looked on Sensei as a father figure, and how devastated she had been at the tragedy. She may be showing a facade of professional detachment, but he knew that inside, each time she had to confront the harsh reality, it was as if a knife was burying itself deeper into her heart.

"He was eviscerated." Yori's voice became even more monotone as she spelled out the tragedy that had befallen her clan. Kim could only look on in horror as, even through the fuzzy haze of the morphine, she registered the hurt felt by the young ninja before her.

"I do not know if my team and I can protect Stoppable San from whoever did this, but we have sworn to die trying."

Kim appeared to be on the verge of getting out of bed, and the heart monitor registered the increased beat with a more urgent beeping sound, but Ron quickly sprang out of his seat and gently, but firmly pressed her shoulders back into the pillows.

After a moment, Kim stopped resisting and sank gratefully back into the bed, another shot of morphine finally breaking her will and she felt herself slipping into sleep.

The last thing she heard was Ron's voice as if from a great distance assuring her that everything would be alright and that he was sure he was safe.

As Ron left the recovery room, he wondered whether he was telling the truth or not about his safety. After all, what kind of person could murder someone as capable as Sensei? It just didn't make sense, it wasn't even as if there was any evidence of a fight, the alarm didn't get raised until morning according to Yori. With a shudder, he tried to put such thoughts out of his mind, but he was suddenly aware that the carefree days of his youth were behind him.

He found Mrs Possible waiting for him, and listened as she explained that her husband was taking Monique back home, and that he should get some rest. He could come and see Kim again in the morning. Nodding absent mindedly, he pointed out that she too should go home, and then headed off back down the corridor to the lift.

He was met by Yori and her two compatriots, and they rode the elevator down to the ground floor together. The lobby was a much more organised space than it had been earlier, although the Global Justice presence was still in evidence, as much of the earlier logjam of patients had been cleared. Tired, and emotionally drained, Ron stepped out into the fresh night air and headed for his bike.

The drive home was an uneventful affair, the roads being pretty much empty at this time of night. Ron pulled up onto the driveway, followed by the Yamanouchi contingent in his mother's car. Thankful that his father was away on business, and his mother was staying over at the Possible's tonight, Ron slipped off the saddle, and gratefully removed his helmet. He was looking forward to nothing more than a good night's sleep, and without a backward look, he headed towards the house.

Yori slipped out of the front seat of the car, and began to make her own way towards the front door, while her two compatriots locked up the car, and began to make their way towards their lodgings for the night. She quickly noticed something amiss, however, as there was no sign of the guard she had left watching over the house. Looking around, she trilled the call of a nightjar, the standard request for contact, but there was no reply. Frowning now, she moved her way cautiously around the side of the building, looking for any clue as to what was wrong.

Ron took no notice of this. He was focussed on getting inside where he could get some rest. He couldn't ignore the queasy feeling starting to manifest in his stomach, however, and he had to stop to gulp down a few deep breaths to suppress the nausea he felt rising in his throat. Each step he took towards the front door caused the sensation to intensify and he looked at the entrance suspiciously as a conviction grew in his mind that something was very wrong.

"Yori!" He called out softly in the night air, but was ignored by the young ninja as she saw a silhouette drop from the roof landing in the shadow of a large bush.

"Kyoko?" The shape looked the right size for the young adolescent left behind to watch the house while the elders were away. It was a low risk mission with instructions to observe only, but some sixth sense warned Yori that things were not as they should be.

"Hai Shidousha." The harsh sibilancy instantly put Yori on alert as the voice was definitely not that of her young apprentice. The figure emerged from the shadows, revealing the body of a young girl, about fourteen years of age, her pretty face still beautiful as the moonlight caught the strong cheek bones, but all Yori could focus on was the huge sucking wound in it's chest revealing the empty cavity where the heart should be.

Dead eyes looked out from sunken sockets, and Yori gagged as the cadaver raised it's arms in an attempt to grab her. A cry of horror escaped her lips as she staggered back, too stunned to do anything except put distance between herself and the animated corpse that was shuffling towards her.

Her cry distracted Ron from his own concerns, and his head whipped round to face the direction in which his friend had gone. He couldn't see what was going on, but he knew that if Yori was frightened then it had to be bad. Barely registering the fact that his own nausea had vanished, he turned to go to her aid, when the front door of the house exploded, showering him in wooden shards and splinters.

Reactions honed from dodging automatic laser fire, saved Ron from serious injury as he rolled away from what was left of the door. Coming to rest in a crouch, he looked to see what had caused the eruption, only for his jaw to drop in disbelief at the monster now standing in the gaping doorway. It was eight feet tall at least, and built like a cross between a man and a gorilla, massive legs and torso, topped with rounded shoulders and a head like the chinese lions that used to stand in the Bamboo Garden chinese restaurant before it was destroyed in the alien invasion. It was naked except for a tattered loin cloth around it's waist, and it's red skin glistened with a sickly glow in the moonlight. Most frighteningly of all, however, was the look of malevolent intelligence behind the staring white eyes that were focused on the youth.

One arm raised, clutching a primitive sword, little more than a club with jagged obsidian shards embedded in the wood but deadly sharp, the creature let out a mighty roar and rushed towards the stunned teenager. For the second time, instinct took over where conscious thought was still in shock from the apparition before him. Ducking underneath the clumsy swing, Ron flipped into a forward roll and as he came up from the manouver, drove his foot straight into the creatures back.

It was like kicking a mountain, with the monster barely even registering the action before it spun around with surprising speed and agility, and once more began to approach it's prey.

"Oh Crap!" The thought flashed briefly through the young man's head as he once again evaded the creature's attack. Rolling to one side, he reached inside himself to tap the hidden reservoir of Mystical Monkey Power that had been bestowed upon him so many years ago. Only to find that for the first time since that fatal day, there was nothing there.

"I'm gonna die" was the first thought that emerged from his confused mind, but he had no more time to think as the monster was once more moving towards him, slowly swinging it's weapon in front of it before it changed it's tactics and suddenly leapt ten feet, quickly closing the gap between them, causing Ron to stumble backwards for a few steps before falling on his backside.

The great saw-edged club swung down, and Ron flung up his arm and turned his head away as he waited for death. All he heard, however, was the crack of wood on wood, followed by some japanese invective. Opening his eyes, he saw Jiro standing between him and the creature, straining to hold back the monster's weapon, armed only with a garden rake. As Ron took the opportunity to roll away from danger, the yamanouchi man stepped back and brought the rake up into a guard position. The creature's eyes flicked between the ninja and it's designated target. Deciding that the threat from the armed man was more immediate, it flexed it's arms and swung it's sword at it's new opponents head.

Yori heard the commotion from the front of the house, but she had problems of her own to deal with. Unarmed from the journey to the hospital, she tackled the walking corpse with a classic ninjutsu combination, throwing a jab punch to the face, followed by a full blown strike to the chest, and completed with an elbow slamming into her opponent's throat. Normally enough to stop any foe, the cadaver simply staggered back slightly, even as it's head was flung back by the ferocity of the attack. Surprised that it was still standing, Yori quickly moved back out of range and wondered how you killed something that was already dead. The soulless eyes followed her as she sidled around her opponent, and pale lips curled up into a rictus grin as the otherworldly voice spoke once more.

"Yamanouchi!" The empty hunger expressed by that one word sent shivers down her spine. Realising that this was probably what had killed her mentor, she hoped that at least one of them would survive to warn the remaining elders of her school.

The sound of a sword leaving it's scabbard dragged her focus back to the matter in hand. Whatever was controlling the young girl's body did not have full control over its actions, the movements were jerky and stiff, but Yori was sure that it could still wield the blade with deadly force, and she had no defence against it.

Kyoko's body charged with startling speed, but Yori flung herself into a back flip that maintained the distance between them, aware that she was being driven away from helping Ron, but unable to do anything about it. The corpse continued to advance, the sword held steady in cold dead hands as it stalked it's enemy, only to be distracted by the sudden appearance of three darts suddenly sprouting from it's chest.

Recognising the distinctive weaponry, Yori called out. "Makoto, see to Stoppable san."

"Jiro." The one word expressing all that needed to be said as the older ninja took up a stance slightly to the side of his leader. There was a muffled clink, as he let the bike chain, recently pilfered from Ron's pannier, drop down by his side. Casually, he moved away from his unarmed leader, and began to swing the chain by his side, the heavy padlock attached at one end making an improvised manriki-gusari. Yori had been on the receiving end of Makoto's chain weapons several times in training, and knew the best thing she could do was get out of his way.

As she worked her way around the other side of the animated corpse, Makoto had his chain weaving a deadly pattern in front of his body. Left hand holding one end, and the right eighteen inches further along the chain, the rest of the weapon extended about three feet as it swung in a figure of eight pattern, while his eyes never left the animated corpse that was trying to keep both Yamanouchi ninjas in sight. It's movements became even more jerky as whatever otherworldly intelligence was controlling it, had to focus on two targets.

Seeking to even the odds, it decided to take down the lesser threat quickly, and turned to swing it's sword at the unarmed young woman on it's right side. This was the opening the older man had been waiting for. With a flick of his right wrist, the swinging chain snapped back passed his head, and then whipped back, fully extended, to catch the cadaver in the back of its head. the heavy metal weight slammed into the skull, and Yori could hear the crack as it fractured under the smashing blow. For a moment, the corpse staggered, and it's arms flung out wildly in an attempt to maintain it's balance. While it was distracted, Yori stepped inside it's reach and grasped the right wrist with her own outstretched hand. Pulling the body into her own, she flipped it over her hip, wrenching the sword out of it's grasp. Even as the zombie struggled to regain it's footing, the blade swung up and fell, slicing the shattered head from the dead body.

"Rest in Peace Kyoko." The whispered benediction for noones ears except her own, she watched the previously animated body, now a lifeless carcass lying on the ground. An unearthly shriek emanated from the torso, as a foul black smoke poured from the neck, but it dissipated in the cold night air, leaving only a miasma of hatred and despair.

Ron and Jiro, on the other hand, were having no such luck in dealing with their own problems. Both had backed up towards the shattered doorway leading into the house, only the flimsy defence of the garden rake keeping the monster at bay. The heavy obsidian blade had already been deflected twice by this makeshift shield, but neither man expected their luck to hold.

Making a decision, Jiro shoved Ron back into the house, and charged, sweeping the sword to one side with the wooden haft of the rake, then reversing the swing, to bring the metal prongs crashing down on the animalistic head. The resounding clang resulting from this attack rang out in the night air, with the shock of the impact almost jarring the weapon out of the young ninja's hands.

It had no effect on the creature at all. With a contemptuous back hand, it swept Jiro off his feet, hurling him fifteen feet until he landed on his back in the middle of the front lawn. Shaking his head, to clear his blurred vision, the young man saw the crimson figure turn once more to face the blond man that was obviously it's primary target. Struggling to regain his feet, he was passed by his two compatriots who had come running around the side of the house as soon as their own enemy had been dispatched.

Bike chain and sword both struck at the same time, with similar results. Once more, the clang of metal striking the impervious skin of the creature, the blade of the sword actually shattering as it bounced of the iron-like hide. The hilt fell from Yori's numbed fingers as she recoiled in shock at the sight before her eyes.

"Oni!" Her moan of fear was audible even by Ron in the house, as she faced a nightmare from childhood stories. He had fallen awkwardly while being shoved away by his bodyguard, and was now limping back towards the doorway, when it was suddenly filled by the hulking form of the creature.

"Oh come on. Pick on someone your own size!" Ron quickly hobbled back into the living room, putting the coffee table between himself and his foe. The monster flinched slightly as it was subjected to some kind of attack from the Yamanouchi ninjas now separated from their charge, but it showed no sign of really being bothered by these attacks.

Sweeping up a coffee cup sitting on the table, Ron hurled it at his nemesis, rewarded by a growl of annoyance as it shattered on the monsters iron-like hide. The jagged obsidian sword swung up once more, and the blond teenager rapidly moved away as the flimsy barrier of the table was demolished by the brute force of the blade.

Keeping his eyes constantly on his attacker, Ron moved towards the stairs, The look on the creatures face was predatory as it tracked his movements, while slowly following him towards the stairwell.

"Monkey, Crush!" The first words from the lion-like snout took Ron by surprise, not expecting such a level of intelligence from his attacker. The primitive sword raised to point in his direction, in case there was any doubt about it's intention. Any notion of luring it into a trap vanished from his mind as he quickly re-evaluated his situation. Stumbling on the bottom step, he quickly regained his balance and began to back his way up the stairs. As the creature stepped through the wreckage of the table, two figures rushed in through the broken entranceway and once more attacked it from behind.

Yori was the first to strike, leaping onto the creature's back and clawing her way up towards it's head. As one massive arm reached back over it's shoulder to remove this latest distraction, a chain whipped out, the weighted end wrapping itself around the wrist as Makoto struggled to restrain the beast.

The strength of the demon was not borne solely of muscle and tendons, however, but tapped the energies of it's masters underworld realm. With a gutteral roar of frustration, it flung the fettered arm away, hurling the unlucky ninja through the air, where he crashed behind the sofa in an ungainly heap. With the chain still wrapped around it's arm, it reached back and grabbed Yori by the blouse, ripping her off it's back, and throwing her hard against the wall, where she hit with a sickening thud and fell senseless to the ground.

Before Ron could even react to the latest developments, the monster reached the bottom of the stairs and began to climb. The steps creaked and groaned under the weight of the creature, each one splintering under the tread of the clawed feet as it slowly neared the upstairs landing where Ron could do nothing but watch in horror as his implacable doom got nearer and nearer.

In a last valiant effort, Makoto shook away the throbbing pain in his skull and made another dash towards this seemingly invincible enemy. He took the stairs two at a time as he desperately tried to stop it's inexorable progress, but the punishment suffered by the stairwell was too great. Half way up, there was a splintered cracking sound as a whole section fell away, taking the ninja with it. There was a brief scream of surprise, swiftly silenced by the wooden beams crashing down on top of him.

Alone now, Ron could do nothing but watch in terrified fascination as the bestial creature reached the second floor. Almost in a trance, he retreated as the monster stalked him, until he found himself pressed up against the wall waiting for the end.

With a slavering grin, drool dripping from the elongated jaws of the lion head, the creature raised it's sword to destroy it's designated target. Ron flung his arm up in a futile attempt to fend off the inevitable, his head turned away and his eyes closed so as not to see his death approaching, when the front window exploded in a shower of glass as Jiro dramatically burst in having climbed to the roof in an attempt to get around the creature. Landing in a forward roll, he brought the shattered remains of his rake into a defensive stance.

Before the creature could even register what had happened, Jiro launched an attack. The rake haft, snapped off where the metal tines used to be, swung down, striking the creature's shoulder with a solid thunk of wood striking flesh. The roar of pain was deafening as, not waiting to recover from the swing, Jori simply let the momentum carry the shaft onwards, and by reversing the hold his hands had on the weapon, let the other end of the staff swing round to strike a direct hit to the crown of the monsters head.

The red skinned creature staggered back, bellowing in pain as it finally faced a weapon able to hurt it. Beady eyes tracked the new threat as the young man raced forward to follow up the advantage gained, but the monster had already regained it's composure. As the staff swung once more, it was met by the solid shape of the club like sword, and it shattered, leaving the ninja holding nothing more than a jagged splinter, perhaps ten inches long. Unable to reverse his momentum, Jori could do nothing to stop the other clawed hand sweeping up and grabbing him by the neck.

As the arm lifted him up from the floor, his legs kicking futilely in an attempt to escape the choke hold, Jiro stabbed down with the broken haft in his hand, piercing the skin in the muscled arm, and causing black blood to flow dripping onto the floor where it smoked and hissed. The creature would not be denyed, however, and before the trapped ninja could launch another attack, the sword in the creature's other hand punched up into his chest, splattering blood over the walls as the end burst out of the unfortunate ninja's back.

Jiro's head flung back, his mouth open in a silent howl of shock and pain. His vision already dimming, he saw the appalled white face of the man he had sworn to protect. His head lolled back forward as the creature brought the mortally wounded man closer, it's jaws stretched open as it sought to sink it's fangs into the unprotected throat, and taste the lifeblood of the dying man. With his last strength, the yamanouchi man swung the jagged splinter still held in his right hand up above his head and with both hands, plunged it deep into the creature's eye.

Blood erupted from this new wound, and the shattered body of the ninja, still impaled on the toothedged blade fell to the floor as both hands of the monster clutched at the wooden shaft sticking from it's eye. The Oni staggered back clawing at the weapon, but the sliver of wood, driven by the dying strength of the ninja had pierced through to the brain. The great body toppled back over the landing rail and fell to the living-room floor where it shattered like a porcelein plate.

Shaking with adrenalin, Ron crouched, unable to move for a few minutes before he regained enough control over his body to stand. His brain was numb after the stress of combat had subsided, but he managed to stagger over to where Jiro lay. Falling to his knees, he rolled the young man over and lifted his head onto his lap. The neck flopped lifelessly as Ron looked desperately for any signs of life but there were none. Tears pricked at his eyes as he looked down on the man who had given up his own life so that he could live. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ron bent over to touch his forehead on the dead ninja's head.

The jolt of a hand grabbing him by the throat was a shock to say the least. Ron's eyes shot open only to see black eyes staring back at him from the head of the dead man lying in his arms. Ron's hand grabbed the fingers wrapped around his neck in a desperate attempt to free himself from the throttling grasp, efforts which redoubled as the previously slack mouth of the corpse suddenly twisted into an evil grin. The voice which issued from the dead throat, sounded cold and hungry, and altogether evil.

"Monkey Master no more!" The satisfaction could be sensed even through the distorted sound of a dead man's voicebox. Ron's urgent struggles grew even more desperate as the head raised itself up from the ground and jaws opened as it reached for the blond man's throat.

"Time for you to die." The hiss sent a shiver down Ron's spine as the sheer hatred expressed by this living dead creature, but even stronger was the feeling of revulsion at such a noble man's body being usurped by evil to go against every value he had held in life. Such an anger rose in his mind that the numbing fear he had been feeling since he discovered the loss of his Mystical Monkey Power was overwhelmed. Ignoring the clawing fingers at his throat, Ron managed to struggle to his feet, the animated corpse never letting go of it's grip as Ron dragged them both into a standing position. The zombie reached out with it's other hand to grab Ron's neck, but Ron dropped both hands to grasp the hilt of the sword still jutting out from Jiro's chest. He brought his knee up between himself and his new attacker and kicked out, while simultaneously ripping the blade out from the corpses body.

Blood and entrails spilled out onto the floor as the zombie staggered back from Ron's kick. The animated head lolled forward as it looked at the huge gaping hole that now existed where it's chest used to be, then looked up with a grin on it's face, knowing that such a wound would have no effect on it's ability to fight, only to see the young man before it holding the Oni's blade two handed above his shoulder.

"You first." Ron snarled the words as he swung the sword and lopped off the head with a single stroke.

"NOOOooo!" The voice shrieked in frustrated rage as the body of the ninja dropped like a stone, black smoke pouring from it's neck. The cloud rose up into a vaguely humanoid shape, looming over the terrified Ron.

"You shall die, the prophecy will not be denied!" The words echoed out of the very air, as the black form rose up over the young man's head, but it couldn't hold this form and dissipated into a foul smelling odour of decay.

The sword dropped from Ron's nerveless fingers as his knees gave way. Looking down at the decapitated body of the now lifeless corpse, he couldn't form any coherent thought as the exhaustion from the battle finally made itself felt.

He was still there when Yori found him several minutes later. She had had to climb the wall to reach him once she finally regained consciousness, helped by the rather battered Makoto, who had survived his fall with nothing more than a dislocated shoulder.

Ron had told her what had happened in a monotone, his voice cracking as he described how Jiro had saved his life at the cost of his own, only for some other power to use the dead body to try to kill him.

"He died with honour, fulfilling the task bestowed upon him. We can ask for nothing more."

"Bullshit." Ron's outburst shook Yori out of her comtemplative meditation over her underling's body. "That thing is trying to kill me and I'm pretty sure it won't stop until the job is done."

Ron's voice took on a more emotive tone. "It must be what killed Sensei. The Lotus Blade is missing and now I find my Monkey Power has gone too. You'd better believe I want more than to die with honour. I want answers."

"But Stoppable San, where would we begin to look? A power that can raise the dead and summon demons from the underworld will not be easy to find."

"It spoke of a prophecy before it left, we can start there. Someone somewhere must have written it down, we just have to find it."

Yori shook her head in resignation. "The Yamanouchi archives were destroyed in the attack. It is obvious that whoever was behind all this did not want us to know what was written."

"Yeah?" Ron rose to his feet with a new resolve in his eyes and steel in his voice. "Well Yamanouchi isn't the only source of knowledge about Mystical Monkey Power. We'll just have to hope that whatever that thing is, it doesn't know everything. Come on, we've got to see a man about a monkey."

"I don't understand." Makoto's deep voice cut in on the conversation. "Who is this font of wisdom that we seek?"

Bending down, Ron closed the lifeless staring eyes on the severed head, and folded the arms onto what remained of Jiro's chest. Standing once more, he turned to face the remaining Yamanouchi ninjas, and with the gleam of madness in his eyes spoke one name.

"Monkey Fist." 


	7. Ch 6 You only hurt the one you love

She stood in the centre of the playground. All around her, pre-teen children ran about, the air filled with the sound of their play as they waited for school to start. She turned slowly, taking in the sights she never thought to see again, until her eyes latched onto a scene just outside the school gates.

"But I don't wanna go to school." The little girl stood, every fibre of her being emitting the self righteous indignation only a six year old girl can generate.

"Don't start. I'm not interested." The mother's voice dismissive as she pushed her daughter towards the school gates. "Look, your brother has already gone in."

"Huh!" Obviously not impressed with this information, the young girl tossed her long black hair with derision. "That's because he's an idiot."

The only answer she got was a rough push in the direction of the school gates before her mother turned and walked back to her car. The little girl watched her leave, before picking up a school bag far too big for her and turned to enter the school gates. She quickly found her way blocked by three boys, eight or nine years old, and with rather nasty expressions on their faces.

"Hey, look who it is." The leader looked back over his shoulder at the two boys behind him. Turning back to face the young girl once more, his voice dripped with scorn. "This must be Hego's sister. I bet she's as big a crybaby as he is."

The girl's face was impassive and unimpressed as the three boys laughed at their joke, but when she moved to go around them, they quickly moved to block her entry into the more she fixed them with an unimpressed look as she waited for what she knew was coming next. God boys were so predictable.

With a sadistic leer, the leader of the group took one step forward, but before anyone else could react, a small voice spoke up from behind them. "Hey you big bully, leave her alone."

Whatever self confidence had prompted the speaker to intervene melted under the combined gaze of three older boys. Behind them stood a small redhead, perhaps seven years old, who suddenly looked as if she wished she were a hundred miles away.

"What did you say?" One of the followers snarled in her face, unable to comprehend that someone had actually stood up to them.

"Eeep." The little girl suddenly lost all ability to speak as the full implications of her intervention suddenly became clear. Looming over her, one of the boys flung out an arm, the open palm striking her in the chest, causing her to fall back, her back and head striking the hard playground surface with an audible smack. Ignoring the snivelling cries of the girl, the boy turned back to watch his leader.

Satisfied that the pitiful challenge to his authority was over, the leader of the gang turned back once more to face is latest victim. Expecting fearful anticipation, he was met with a steady green eyed gaze. The raven haired girl positively radiated distain, causing just the slightest iota of uncertainty to enter his mind.

He didn't even see the knee move, but his world exploded in white hot pain as it connected with is groin. Collapsing to his knees, and then toppling over to one side, he fell to the floor, his mouth open in a silent scream. His two accomplices watched with open mouths as their leader was incapacitated, their gaze inexorably drawn to the picture of agony unfolding before their eyes.

After a few seconds, they managed to drag their eyes away from the curled up figure on the floor, only to be met by the steely green eyed gaze of the black haired young girl. Unable to move, they could only watch as she stepped over the boy currently rolling about on the ground and closed the gap between them.

"Are you going to get out of my way or what?" the tone of voice left noone in any doubt as to what the answer would be. With one last look at their leader, the two boys turned and ran. Without another word, the dark haired girl walked on into the playground, ignoring both her victim and the young auburn girl now curled up in sobbing ball.

The woman who had watched all this shook her head, and walked over to stand by the little redhead. The tears were coming to an end as the pain subsided, and after a minute or two, the small girl sat up and looked around. Her eyes eventually falling on the woman who was now crouched by her side.

"You know, you could at least have said thank you!" young girl's voice was filled with hurt indignation.

The older woman laughed. "What for, it's not as if you did anything to help, is it?"

The redhead picked herself up from the floor and stood. "I don't even know why I want to be your friend anyway." With an arrogant toss of her auburn curls, she flounced away disappearing into the crowd of children.

The grown up version of Shego stood, a fond smile on her face as she watched her go. She wasn't really surprised when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"God, was I really that precocious?"

Slowly turning, Shego looked into the cornflower blue eyes of her oldest friend. "Oh please. As if you didn't know!" A smile twitched on black lips as a wave of contentment swept over the thief. It was matched by the smile evident on the other woman's face, and before Shego could even move, she was caught up in an embrace that took her breath away.

Eyes squeezed shut to deny the tears that had suddenly welled up, Shego sought to swallow the lump that had appeared in her throat. Her friend smiled as she felt the wet sensation on her neck, but did nothing until she sensed that the green woman was once more in control of her emotions. She knew full well how much Shego hated being seen to be weak.

Stepping back from the hug, she let her exquisite face take on a mildly amused look. "Hey girlfriend, you miss me?"

Shego snorted in dismissal. "Not even. I don't know why I ever let you hang around." The grin on her face proving the lie expressed by her words.

"Because I taught you how to break men's hearts." The redhead's voice filled with mock indignation.

"And I taught you not to care." The retort causing both women to laugh.

"I'm dreaming right?" The black haired woman's question hung in the air once they had regained their composure.

The willowy redhead didn't answer but turned to look at the horizon. There was a dark smear was cutting across the sky like an arm stretching out menacingly, as if reaching for something in the distance. Shego felt cold just looking at it, somehow certain that it was slowly growing.

Her eyes met those of her friend, but before Megan could explain any further, Shego suddenly convulsed in agony, her hands flying to her side as she bent over, a wave of pain stabbing through her abdomen. She barely felt her friend's hand on her shoulder and although she could see her lips moving could not make out the words. Instead, in her mind she faintly heard another voice speaking as if from a great distance.

"Careful lifting her out, she's been badly hurt."

Forcing her eyes open, Shego looked up from her kneeling position, she had fallen without even knowing it. She looked straight into her friend's face pinched as it was with both sympathy for her pain, but also urgency as she tried to impart her message.

"Shego..." any further words were lost as another wave of pain rushed through her.

"Lay her down on the bed. Damn she's started bleeding again." Once more the barely heard words sounded in her head.

"Shegoooo" Megan's voice faded as the green thief's eyes rolled back in her head and she fell backwards into oblivion.

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"Okay, Okay, so I was being melodramatic, is that a crime?" Ron Stoppable wished Yori would let it drop, Middleton airport was hardly the place to have this conversation. Yori had only asked how they were going to speak to Monkey Fist when he was petrified. It seemed a perfectly sensible question to ask, but Ron seemed to take it personally. She had also asked why they were going to the international airport when the ex master of Tai Shing Pek Kwa was currently propped up in a sealed room under Global Justice headquarters. She was now sitting demurely with her hands neatly folded in her lap, watching Ron pace up and down waving his hands above his head in frustration. Outwardly calm, Ron could feel the disapproval eminating from her body.

"Hey, you were the one who assumed that thing was some supernatural entity, who was overreacting then huh? For all we know it was just some wierd crossbreed knocked up by DNAmy."

Deep brown eyes looked up, locking his gaze in a steady stare, causing the young man to falter in his diatribe. "Y-Y-Yeah" he stuttered suddenly disconcerted and feeling foolish under the piercing glare. "Just another one of Amy's mutants." His voice began to tail off as his objections melted under his own sense of logic. "One that is somehow immune to metal, and can animate the dead."

"Alright, alright something wierd is going on." He finally conceded the point, causing Yori to once more settle down in the image of serene patience. "We just need to break into Lord Monty Fiske's castle, avoid the booby traps and retainers, find a hidden library somewhere and locate his copy of the Monkey prophecies. Piece of cake."

His sideways glance showed that Yori was not taken in by his false bravado, but she didn't have a better plan and with Makoto flying back to Japan taking Jiro's remains home, she didn't want to stay in one place for too long. After all there was always the chance that Ron might be right, and the answers were there for the taking. With a simple nod of her head, she signified her approval and resumed her meditation as she waited for the plane to England.

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Kim Possible was bored. The first two days had been a blur as she had drifted in and out of sleep, aided by the drugs coarsing through her bloodstream. After a while, however, her need for the pain relief began to diminish, and she was able to sit up as the powerful narcotics cleared from her system. She had plenty of visitors, Monique dropped by after work, and even Dr Director managed a fleeting visit just to see how her protege was getting on, and also to check up on her agents, who were still standing guard over the injured teen. Her family were also in attendance every chance they got. Her mother and father both taking time off work to sit at her side whenever they could.

Even the twins dropped by, brought by her father when her mother was busy, although their visit had to be curtailed when they began dismantling the monitor claiming that it was only operating at ten percent efficiency. After that, their visits were kept short and under constant supervision.

She was a little hurt that Ron didn't come to see her, but Wade explained that he had been called away to deal with some Yamanouchi business, which she accepted with surprising equanimity. She knew that something was wrong at the ninja school, even though she had never really asked about what had really gone on during Ron's school exchange, and he had never volunteered any information.

So there she lay, with nothing to do but think. It wasn't something she had ever had time for before, her life and temperament not being geared up for introspection, so it took her some time to order her jumbled thoughts.

There was one recurring theme that kept bothering her, however. Why had she flown off the handle like she had, it really wasn't like her at all. Assessing her own feelings about that night took some time, but she eventually had to accept that it wasn't Ron's feelings that had bothered her, but rather her own.

It wasn't the casual closeness between Ron and Yori that had caused her outburst, but rather the fact that it highlighted the gap that had grown between them while she was away at college. Her anger had been a displacement activity to divert her mind away from the fact that she didn't feel the way she thought she should about her boyfriend.

She could finally admit to herself that her feelings for Ron had changed over the past few months. She still looked on him as her best friend, and she knew he would always be there for her if he could, but their lives had diverged from the joined at the hip relationship from high school. He had his own life now, where she was not a major factor, just as her own life had expanded beyond the closeknit circle of friends she was used to. More importantly, whereas she had moved on from Highschool, it didn't look like Ron had, new job notwithstanding. It was like he didn't want to grow up.

She also had to admit that part of her reaction had been her own drive to succeed regardless of the consequences. That last thought didn't sit well with her. Was she really that obsessive that she would almost pick a fight with a largely blameless third party just to avoid admitting that her relationship was not as solid as it should be?

Over the course of the day, she came to the conclusion that maybe she was, and she felt somewhat shameful over this revelation. Looking back over the past year, she had to wonder to what extent her feelings for Ron had been real, and how much had been doing the right thing because it was expected.

Late in the afternoon, she had finally worked through all her own emotions and had drawn up a plan of action in her head. Over the course of the holiday she would see if there was any future in continuing with her relationship with him. Her major concern being how breaking up with him would affect their long term friendship. In the end she decided that whatever had to be done, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. With that final thought, she settled back down to sleep, bouyed up by the knowledge that in a few days she would be going home.

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The first thing Shego noticed when she woke up was the comfort. She had vague memories of strange dreams, darkness and fear, with a voice desperately trying to tell her something but never quite being audible enough for her to hear the message.

Now she could feel the reassuring softness of a pillow and, on moving her legs, the delicious sensation of clean sheets. With a smile on her lips she rolled over onto her back, and was rapidly brought back to reality by the shooting pain in her side. Stifling a groan, she opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking around she could see understated wallpaper and subtle furnishings indicating some kind of bedroom. It looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it in her mind. First priority was locating the door and window, to determine access points and escape routes. No bars or reinforced doorframes indicated that she was not in a secure location. With her local environment identified, Shego could now concentrate on the other factor that she had picked up almost immediately. The red haired, green eyed young woman watching her from the doorway.

"Oh crap, its another dream." Shego turned her head away from the sight briefly wondering if the saxaphone playing cow was going to make another appearance. "You haven't seen any rollerblading sheep have you?" she quizzed her hallucination.

"Mom, I think she's still delerious." Kim Possible turned to someone behind the door.

"No, I don't think so. The fever broke last night, she's probably just disorientated." came a familiar voice, and Shego saw her benefactor doctor appear behind her teenage nemesis.

"You've got to be shitting me!" the thief exclaimed and let her head fall back into the pillow. Memories rushing back of days spent in this very room under her Ms Go persona.

"OK young lady, I think that's enough of that mouth." Shego could only turn and stare as she was scolded by what appeared to be Kim Possible's mother.

"What the F..".

"I said I didn't want to hear it." Dr Possible interrupted. Her voice was stern, and made Shego feel about ten. Shego had never really got on with her own mother, even from an early age, and wasn't too inclined to take orders from somebody elses. Still, she figured she owed her benefactor at least that respect for all the care she had obviously been given.

"Fine, whatever." she sighed and closed her eyes.

A giggle made her open them again, to see the older woman nodding in satisfaction, and more to the point, Kim Possible laughing. "What the hell are you laughing at." she snarled at the young girl. Ignoring Mrs Possible's narrowing eyes at her language.

"Kim honey, could you give us a moment?" Dr Possible fully entered the room, and waited for her daughter to nod and leave, before closing the door. "I just need to unhook you." her comment in response to Shego's puzzled look, before the thief realised there was a saline drip running from her arm. A brief moment of embarrassment as she realised the doctor had to detach her from a catheter as well, but the professional attitude of her benefactor brushed aside any awkward moments.

Once everything was removed, Anne Possible opened the door, to find Kim leaning up against the wall just outside. She obviously had something on her mind, and her mother figured it was best to leave the two antagonists together for a while.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Dr Possible said, as she turned away from the two women. "Just remember that you are both recovering from surgery. I don't want to hear any fighting." looking pointedly at Shego as she left the room.

Shego sank back into the pillow, grateful to relieve the ache in her side. She closed her eyes in an attempt to avoid dealing with the situation, but she could feel those green orbs looking at her even with her eyes closed. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and turned to look at Kim.

"Good to see you up and about Pumpkin." she said, and winced as she forgot herself and rolled onto her side to look at the teenager. "Fuck!" she swore, but Kim noticed she did it under her breath, and couldn't help smiling at the thief shying away from a confrontation with her mother.

"Thanks to you." she replied. Shego held up a hand to forestall what was coming next but Kim just ignored her.

"Why?" she asked softly.

It was something that had occupied her mind ever since she found out how she got into the hospital. When she first woke up after surgery, all she could remember was hanging from the helicopter looking up at her raven haired adversary. Her mother was the one who told her that it was Shego that had brought her here. It was only after her second day recovering from her injuries, that her mother told her how badly injured the thief had been when she arrived. She also explained how she found her car still in the carpark, with the thief passed out inside.

Kim had been rather surprised to find out that her mother was hiding a fugative, but understood that her mother felt she owed Shego a massive favour for undoubtedly saving her daughters life. What she didn't understand is why Shego had done it.

When no answer was forthcoming, she moved to sit down on the bed, wincing slightly at the pain in her ribs. Looking straight into the older womans eyes, she asked again.

"Why did you save me?"

Sighing, Shego shook her head and closed her eyes. "Believe me Princess, if I knew how much trouble it would bring me, I wouldn't have bothered."

Chuckling slightly, she looked up at Kim and pulled herself up into a sitting position, raising an eyebrow as she watched the redhead adjust her pillows to make her more comfortable. It looked as if she was going to say something else, but just as she opened her mouth, Kim saw a look in her eyes as if something had just come to the thief's attention.

"God I need a shower." Shego snapped, pulling her hair in front of her eyes, and dropping it in disgust.

Silently, Kim pointed to the ensuite bathroom. Shego flung the covers off and strode purposefully towards the door. Kim, sat on the bed, listening to the sound of running water, and some thankfully muffled curses as Shego cleaned herself up. This actually proved more difficult than the young thief expected. Although her wound had largely healed, the muscles and tendons were still very sore, and Shego found that she couldn't raise her arms above her shoulders. Washing her hair required bending down and sticking her head under the showerhead, desperately lathering with shampoo to remove the blood and sweat that had built up during her fever. When she finally finished wringing the water out of her waist-long locks, she stepped out of the shower, and found a fluffy white robe hanging on the back of the door. After putting this on, she bent down and wrapped a towel around her head to dry her hair, and stepped back into the bedroom.

"You didn't answer my question." Kim said as Shego re-entered the room.

"No, I didn't, did I." smirked Shego as she sat down in front of the dresser. Reaching up to dry her hair, however, she encountered a problem as the torn muscles in her side protested, and she pulled her arms down with a frustrated hiss. In the mirror, she saw the redhead move up behind her, and begin to rub the towel gently so as to dry her long hair. Once most of the moisture was gone, Kim picked up a brush and began to smooth out the strands . Picking up a hair-dryer, she began to comb and brush the hair while drying it off with a low heat setting. Once it was all dry, Kim continued to brush the hair, to bring out it's shine, running her fingers through it, and marvelling at how soft and silky it felt.

"Enjoying ourselves are we Kimmie?" sneered Shego, causing the teenager to jerk back in embarassment, her face flushed as she realised what she was doing. "Oh God, I'm sorry" she flustered, "I just didn't expect it to be this soft" she blurted out, and then blushed even deeper as she realised what she had said. "Did I just say that out loud?" she thought to herself, and quickly turned away mortified.

"You've actually done a pretty good job." Shego commented, focussing on her hair, and checking for any tangles. If there was one vanity she had, it was her hair. Actually, in her own mind, Shego admitted to being pretty vain in general. After all, If God didn't want her to look after herself, why did he make her so damn hot? Satisfied that her own standards were satisfied, she turned to look back at Kim who was suddenly feeling the urge to leave the room.

Any further conversation, however, was interrupted by Anne Possible, who knocked on the door. "Are you decent?" she asked, and opened the door on Shego's acknowledgement. "I've brought you some clothes to put on if you want." she said, placing a pile on the bed. I've still got some of the clothes you left behind when you last stayed here. I'm afraid the catsuit didn't survive removal.

"I'll leave you to get dressed." said Kim, as she stepped out into the hallway.

"We'll be just down stairs." said her mother, following her out. "I'm just making some lunch if your hungry."

Shego nodded acknowledgement, and waited for the door to close behind the two women. Alone again, she sat on the bed and wondered if anything could get any wierder.

After ten minutes, she came downstairs, dressed in jeans and a white blouse. Following the sound of the television, she found Kim lying on a sofa apparently watching old cartoons. The young girl did a double take, once she saw what her old adversary was wearing but managed to suppress a burst of laughter, she just turned away to hide a smile. Once composed, she sat up to give Shego room on the sofa, however, when the older woman sat down, she found the wound in her side pulled as she sank into the upholstery. Sliding to the floor, she positioned herself where she could see the screen. Shrugging, Kim pulled her feet back onto the settee and lay down with her head on one arm. When Mrs Possible entered the room, carrying a tray of sandwiches, she found her daughter laying on the couch watching Tom and Jerry while Shego sat on the floor, her legs curled up beneath her, and her head resting on a cushion by Kim's side. Kim's hand was slowly running through the raven hair spooled on the cushion beside her.

The reason for Shego's apparent lack of reaction became apparent immediately, she was asleep. Kim sat up as her mother entered the room, but before she could say anything, the door bell rang. Seeing that her mother was busy setting up lunch, Kim stirred herself from the sofa and went to open the door.

"Ron."

Kim cringed inside as she heard the icy tone with which she greeted her boyfriend. She could see him physically flinch at the harshness of her greeting.

"Err, hi Kim. Can I come in?" The nervousness in his voice was a sharp contrast to his usual confident assumption that he was always welcome in the Possible household. Kim stepped to one side, silently opening the door to give the young man entry into the house.

"What's with the doorbell anyway?" Her voice a slightly accusing tone combined with hurt undertones. "You normally just come right in."

"Discretion and all that. It seemed appropriate somehow." The tension between them was intense, but his miserable demeanour finally broke through Kim's emotional barriers, the effort of maintaining them too exhausting in her current state, especially when it was her best friend who was hurting.

"God I've got issues." Kim mentally berated herself as she remembered her resolution to give her relationship a proper chance. She couldn't help herself from glancing out of the doorway as Ron property entered the house.

"It's OK, she's not here." Ron's misery only highlighted the fact that they both knew she was looking for Yori. "She had to sort something out at the airport, we just got back..." His voice trailed off as he realised he was only making matters worse.

"Look, KP, there's nothing going on between us honest. We're just caught up in some trouble that's all!"

"I know that." Kim's answer just a fraction too hurried to come across naturally.

The underlying hostility finally snapped Ron's patience. "Look. This is ridiculous. I've never done anything to give you reason to think that I was anything but honest with you."

The antagonistic tone triggered an instinctive attack response from Kim. "Riiight. While I'm away at college, you just happen to end up riding around on your bike with a japanese schoolgirl clinging round your waist. Nothing for me to worry about there."

The blood drained out of Ron's face as the angry words stabbed at his very soul, his own anger rising in response. "I've been covering your back since kindergarten, I'd have thought you would at least give me the benefit of the doubt." His voice rising in volume as he released his own frustrations.

"Covering my back? Going behind it more like. Going on dangerous missions while I'm kept in blissful ignorance. You even had my website turned off while you swan around the world with your new sidekick." Kim's voice had switched from blazing redhot anger to incandescent whitehot fury. "And the one time I get hurt, where were you? Jetting off to Europe on your own agenda. Yeah, you really had my back then. Did you just want me out of the way so you could get the credit for a change?"

Kim's eyes suddenly widened, as a possible explanation formed in her mind. "Is that what all this was about? You riding to the rescue with your sidekick, saving the world? 'Cause if it is, you really need to come up with your own schtick, that caper is already covered."

"WHAT?" Ron's jaw dropped at the sheer audacity of the accusation. Words failed him as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes and saw only recrimination and mistrust.

Kim turned her head as she heard a noise from the living room. "Keep the noise down, I don't want you to wake her."

"Wake who?" Ron's question spoken at the same time as another voice spoke out from the room behind them.

"Too late!"

"SHEGO!" he shouted, spinning in surprise he turned to face the dangerous woman, "SHEGO'S IN YOUR HOUSE."

Stepping back, he somehow managed to trip over his feet in his hurry to put distance between himself and the master thief. With a cry of surprise, he fell, pulling Kim down with him, and landing on her, eliciting a muffled scream of pain as her ribs protested this treatment.

"Oh crap!. Are you ok KP?"

"Of course I'm not OK you clumsy idiot." Kim gasped as she tried to speak through the pain. In her agony she didn't register what she had said, but the words cut through Ron like an icy dagger to the heart. However, he didn't have time to reflect on the hurtful implications of his old friend's response.

"Get off her, you moron" snarled Shego, stepping forward, she reached down and grabbed his shirt. With barely a grunt of effort, she pulled him off the injured heroine, but suddenly winced as she felt a stabbing pain in her side. Reaching down, she felt a sticky fluid through her blouse, and her stifled groan turned into a snarl as she reached a clawed hand towards his face.

"What's going on here!" Mrs Dr Possible walked in on a scene of chaos. Shego held Ron by the throat, while her other hand looked to be about to claw out his eyes. Kim was on the floor, white faced and her eyes shut as she tried to overcome the waves of pain rolling over her ribs, while Ron himself looked as if he was about to pass out in fear.

"Shego, put him down, you'll get blood all over my rug." The dismissive tone in Dr Possible's voice cut through the red mist currently fogging the enraged woman's mind. Pulling back her clawed hand revealed five puncture wounds circling Ron's face where her nails had pierced the skin. Staggering back, as she pushed him away, Ron reached up to wipe the sweat away from his eyes, the grey pallor of his skin showing how close he believed he had come to serious injury.

"I I I'm sssorry Kim!" he stuttered, all thought of their recent arguement forgotten at the sight of his best friend in pain. "Are you OK?"

"No big." she gasped as she picked herself up from the floor, groaning as she felt fresh pain from her ribs. Her denial somewhat unconvincing what with the grey pallor to her skin and the beads of sweat on her brow

"Shego, are you OK?" she asked, seeing her nemesis bent over, clutching her side. One glance from Shego expressed her feelings on the sidekick's clumsiness with no room for misunderstanding. Ron somehow managed to blanche even more at the implied violence given in that look and moved to position Kim between himself and the dangerous woman he had managed to antagonise.

A whimper slipped out from his lips, as the intense gaze followed him as he ducked behind his friend. Popping up from a trouser pocket, the head of a naked mole rat took one look at the situation facing him, and promptly ducked back down, with only an "Eeek" expressing his take on their predicament.

"Look Kim." Ron finally managed to find his own voice, "I obviously caught you at a bad time. How about I come back later and we can talk when you're feeling better?"

He got no response as the redhead struggled to contain the wave of nausea that rose in her gut while she struggled to contain the agony currently stabbing her abdomen. Seeing Dr Possible busy examining Shego, and Kim leaning against the wall ignoring him, discretion won over valour.

"Maybe some other time KP OK? See ya later." Ron Stoppable turned and ran, for the first time thankful as the Possible front door swung shut behind him.

Having dealt with one problem, however, Kim turned to face a much more serious issue. Her mother took one look at the pain visible in her eyes and moved decisively, raising her daughter's polo neck to check on her condition. One look at the bruising evident in her child's side was enough to draw conclusions.

"That's it young lady. Back to bed for you. You too missy." Mrs Dr Possible's last comment was directed at Shego, who was slumped against the hall wall, probing the new strapping the doctor had just applied to her reopened wound. "Thanks to typical male exuberance, we have put back your recovery by two days. I don't want to see either of you up again before tomorrow."

"Come on Shego." Kim moved to support her erstwhile opponent, as she pushed herself away from the wall. "No point arguing with her in this frame of mind. Best to just do as she says."

There were no complaints from the older woman as Kim ducked under her arm to support her, although it was hard to say who was helping whom as they slowly moved up the stairwell. Shego's room was closest, and Kim carefully steered the two of them through the doorway, not letting go until both of them fell awkwardly onto the bed, each letting out a moan of pain combined with relief as they flopped onto the mattress, neither having the strength left to move for several minutes. Barely aware she was not alone, Shego unbuttoned her blouse and let it slip to the floor. Minimising her movements, she also managed to push off her jeans and slipped under the covers, finally releasing a groan as her body realised that nothing more was expected of it.

Kim lay on her back, the only position that made breathing bearable. She lay still for a few moments while the waves of pain and nausea subsided, her eyes closed, listening to the sound of Shego getting into bed. That was the last she knew, until her mother woke them up the next morning with breakfast.

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"I'm sorry honey, I really need to get back to work, there is an emergency at the hospital." Dr Anne Possible was dressed in her white coat ready for an extended surgical procedure scheduled for later that morning. "Are you sure you're going to be OK?"

"Relax Mom." Kim was sitting up against the spare bedroom headboard, looking down at the still slumbering thief. "What kind of trouble could we possibly get into here?"

Reassured by her daughter's self assured confidence, Dr Possible ruffled her daughter's hair and turned to leave the room. "Oh, don't forget your father and brothers are due back later today from their fishing trip." Smiling at the groan she heard from her eldest child, Anne Possible left the room and headed downstairs to finish getting ready for work.

"Brothers?" The voice was still thick with sleep as the older woman by her side stirred. "Oh yeah, I remember them. I think?"

"Yeah, the tweebs are hard to forget, believe me I've tried." Kim's voice reflected the grin on her face. "You've still got time to run away if you want."

Shego rolled over to face her young adversary. "Oh please. I think my brothers have got the edge on being disfunctional. I can't see your two being a patch on the train crash that substitutes for my family."

Kim thought about this for a few seconds, before a smile crept over her face. "Ooo a challenge. I bet you can't last an hour before threatening them with physical violence."

Shego snorted with derision. "Yeah, two twelve year old kids? They can't even replicate themselves. You've got yourself a deal."

"So what are we betting?" Kim was suddenly apprehensive by the blase way in which her former enemy was taking the suggestion.

"Oh, I'll think of something, don't you worry." Shego's tone was almost playful as she sat up and swung her legs out over the bed, but the look on her face was positively wicked. Ignoring her semi naked attire, she sauntered over to the en-suite bathroom and closed the door behind her. Kim lay on the bed for a few minutes until she could hear the shower running, at which point, she forced herself to get up and headed for her own room wondering what she had let herself in for.

After showering and getting dressed Kim was surprised not to find Shego already down stairs. Just as she was wondering if the thief was having trouble with her hair again, she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Speak of the devil." she murmured as Shego appeared in the kitchen, once more dressed in Ms Go's clothes. Instead of looking for breakfast, however, The thief headed straight for the key rack, and without even a please or thank you, took Kim's car keys and turned back towards the front door.

"What the hell do you thing you're doing?" Kim was incredulous at the sheer chutzpah exhibited by the older woman.

"What? You think I'm going to sit around dressed in beige for the foreseeable future? I really don't think so."

"And you think I am going to let you walk out of here with my car keys?" Kim stood up from the barstool she had been sitting on.

"Come with or stay, it's all the same to me." Shego waved a hand dismissively. "But I'm going shopping" and with that she opened the front door and stepped outside.

She wasn't really surprised to find herself followed. As she slipped into the compact car parked on the driveway, the passenger door opened and Kim slid into the seat beside her.

"Well alright Pumpkin, let's indulge in the worlds third greatest pleasure." The engine roared into life, and the car shot off the driveway heading for the mall.

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Shopping with Shego was a very different experience to shopping with Ms Go, Kim was finding out fast. Although Club Banana was high in the shopping itinery, Shego's tastes differed wildly from her alter ego's. Whereas Ms Go was a picture of decorum and tasteful inconspicuousness, Shego revelled in exhibitionism. She went through shops like a tornado through a trailer park, sucking up all the attention from shop assistants as she swept up great armfuls of expensive clothing.

For a college student living on a set income, Kim almost saw it as immoral at the sheer disregard for economy exhibited by her companion. Even more galling was that however garish and tasteless the outfits were, as soon as Shego tried them on, they suddenly worked. Her own self confidence shone through even the most gaudy outfits, investing them with a style and edge that transformed them from tawdry dross into urban street cred.

Gucci, Versachi and Yves Saint Laurent all fell prostrate to the unlimited credit card wielded with expert precision by the young thief. This was shopping like Kim had never experienced, Shego didn't even seem to look at prices, every decision was based on whether or not she liked the look.

Eventually, even Kim got caught up in the whole shopping adventure, going into shops she had never even considered before and even being coaxed into trying on a few outfits. Shego's tastes tended to be more European, and certainly more expensive, than Kim had ever considered before and the new experience carried her away for a few moments, revelling in the feel of ensembles exceeding a thousand dollars an outfit. A feeling that quickly evaporated once she saw the price tag. Still, shop assistants who would normally glare if a teenager even dared set foot in their establishments were falling over themselves to offer suggestions and advice. One glimpse of the discrete black credit card bearing the simple moniker "Coutts of London" and nothing was too much trouble.

Whereas Kim was revelling in the hedonistic thrill of pure capitalism, Shego found herself enjoying the whole experience for much more mundane reasons. From an early age, she had been the sole female in a male dominated world. Her subsequent career changes had simply exacerbated this situation, and for the first time in many years she was relishing the simple pleasure of shopping with a female companion. Someone who understood the importance of latest fashions and coordinated accessories.

It was in Prada that it happened, Shego had found a pair of green calfskin boots she was trying on, when her eyes fell on a grey suede leather ankle boot. "Hey Kimmie." The teenager peered around the shoe rack to find her companion holding out a pair of boots. "Try these on for size."

Shrugging, the younger girl slipped off her own trainers and slid her feet into the soft embrace of leather. Zipping up the side, she stood and took a few tentative steps, before striding out more confidently as she realised how comfortable they were. Grinning, she sat back down and took them off again, only to gasp when she saw the price tag.

"Seven hundred and eighty dollars? Who pays that kind of money for a pair of shoes?"

Shego's grin was her only answer as the older woman picked up both pairs of boots and headed for the counter. It was only when Kim saw that they had both been rung up on the register that she realised Shego was buying them too.

"Wait, you're not buying them for me!" Kim's protest fell on deaf ears.

"Relax Pumpkin, they're on sale." Shego handed the open mouthed teenager one of the bags she had picked up from the counter. She walked towards the shop entrance, looking back to see her younger companion still in shock.

"They were originally nine hundred." Her quip accompanied by a wicked smile as warm feeling enfused her. She realised that buying things for someone else could be just as pleasurable as buying for herself. Besides, the look on Kim's face was priceless.

Of course she had to suffer the next ten minutes once the younger girl caught up with her, refusing to take them back. Finally exasperated, she stopped and turned to face her redheaded tormentor. "Look, It's only money OK? They look good on you."

Kim could only trail in the extravagant thief's wake, her head in a daze at the casual dismissal of such profligate waste.

Shego, on the other hand had other things on her mind. For a while now, there had been something nagging at the back of her mind. Something was out of place, and her well honed instincts were suddenly flashing alarm signals in her brain. Casually strolling along the mall's aisle, she let her peripheral vision have full reign, on the lookout for whatever was triggering her finely tuned sense of self preservation.

Suddenly reversing direction, she caught Kim off guard where she had been trailing a few feet behind, but more importantly, she spotted what had been bothering her for the past ten minutes.

Surprised by the impromptu U-turn, the man who had been following them instinctively reacted to make himself look less conspicuous. To a well trained eye like Shego's, this made him stand out from the rest of the lazily meandering crowd.

"Come on Kimmie, time for something to eat." Shego headed for the food hall, all the while keeping a covert eye on the man who was still trailing them, unaware that his cover had been blown.

The cheerleader shrugged, perfectly happy to sit down for a while after the past two hours of dedicated shopping. The two women walked together for a while, until Shego was sure they were both still being followed, then she suggested that Kim get a table while she went to the bathroom. As they split up, the tail followed the older woman, without a second glance at the redhead, letting Shego know that she was the target. She turned off the main mall walkway and ducked into a staff only area, ensuring that her stalker saw where she went.

The man hesitated for a few moments, wondering what he should do. However, his orders were clear, trail the black haired woman and report back on her location. Tentatively, and with several furtive looks from left to right, he pushed open the door and stepped into the empty corridor behind.

The passageway turned a corner after only a few feet, and he hurried after his target, there being no other exit from the corridor. He never saw the figure spreadeagled against the ceiling, arms and legs braced against the walls, watching his every move. Just as he moved away from the doorway, the legs swung down silently and struck him between the shoulderblades.

"Ach Scheisse." The European accent told her everything she needed to know. With a quick kick in the stomach as he tried to get up, she grabbed him by the throat and slammed his back into the nearest wall.

"So. You're one of Dementor's boys eh? Too bad for you. You tell him he had better leave me alone if he knows what's good for him."

Her only answer was a spit in the face, as the man struggled ineffectively against her vicelike grip. It was a move he was to come to regret, as the delicate feminine fist slammed repeatedly into his ribs. It was only after she heard the crack of splintered bone that she let him drop to the floor curled up in agony after the relentless pounding she had dished out. Wiping the spittle from her jaw, she bent down and grabbed his face in one hand lifting his chin so she could look into his eyes.

"Now is that any way to treat a lady?" Her smile was devilish and he could only watch as a booted foot swung towards him. It was the last thing he saw before collapsing unconscious in a heap. Shego walked away without looking back, unaware that an RFID chip implanted in her victim's arm was sending out information to a command vehicle currently sitting in the parking lot.

When Kim saw Shego returning, carrying a tray loaded with potato salad and bottled water, she could tell something was different about her. The walk had a more confident strut and her body language literally pulsated arrogance, much more the Shego she knew. The older woman walked with a definite swing to the hips that couldn't help but draw attention, and from what she was seeing, the thief was revelling in the limelight. Seeing the questioning look, Shego declined to explain, just brushed off the unspoken enquiry with a wave of her hand.

"Life is good Princess." and she settled down to eat her salad, leaving Kim no option but to do the same.

As the car swung back onto the driveway, neither occupant could fail to miss the Volvo Estate no resident outside the Possible house. A groan from the passenger seat elicited a chuckle from the driver. Oh yeah, this was going to be a piece of cake. Neither girl was aware that the car had been tagged with a tracking device, nor did they see the white van pull up across the road ten minutes after the car had been vacated.

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From Kim's point of view, the first ten minutes actually went quite well. Her father greeted them both as they entered the house, an over enthusiastic hug for his daughter, eliciting frantic squeaks of protest over the state of her still fragile ribs, while Shego had to suffer the effusive thanks of a parent in total awe of the person who had saved is little girls life. Kim couldn't help but grin at the embarrassed half smile frozen on Shego's lips as she once again reassured the Doctor that saving Kim's life really wasn't any big deal. The green thief finally escaped by hurriedly launching into a detailed description of the morning's activites just as Dr Possible paused from breath. Disengaging her hand from the grip that had been pumping it in a handshake for the past five minutes, she could see his eyes glaze over at the relentless extolment of the high points of fashion. As James coughed and excused himself with almost indecent haste, Kim could only roll her eyes at the fickleness of the male species, while Shego just looked at her with a heavy lidded glance of satisfaction, actually going as far as winking at the younger woman.

Thereafter, it was as if her worst dreams were coming to pass. True to form, the twins were out back, evidenced by the muffled explosions coming from the yard and as usual, their latest prototype launcher came spiralling through the window in a cloud of smoke, but from then on nothing seemed to go to plan.

Whereas Kim was used to out of control rockets, and her well trained instincts warned her to duck at the right time, Shego seemed to waltze through the chaos without any effort whatsoever. As the rocket twisted and turned through the room, she just seemed to step out of the way just as the projectile veered off into a new direction.

After being made to make a third evasive manouver to avoid collision, Kim had given up. It was obvious Shego wasn't phased by out of control missiles, and she was getting fed up with having to dodge out of the way. Ignoring the protest from her ribs, the cheerleader flipped into a forward roll and swept up the frying pan from the stove.

As predictable as Old Faithful, the rocket powered it's way towards her, and the skillet swung in time honoured fashion, destined to convert yet another pioneering space vehicle into scrap metal. Except that this time, there was no impact. Not meeting the expected resistance, Kim spun around as the heavy iron pan's momentum pulled her off balance, and she fell to the ground in a humiliating heap.

Her derriere stung with the impact of the kitchen floor, and her eyes closed momentarily with the pain. When she opened them again, she looked up to see a delicate black fingernailed hand wrapped around the rocket, having just extinguished it's engine with a precision application of plasma power. The young girl's face fell into a frustrated scowl as she looked up into the amused smirk of her tormentor, and things just got worse from then on.

Her two brothers came tearing into the house, expecting to find their latest creation in a mangled heap at the feet of their older sister. Instead, they found her sitting on the floor, frying pan in hand as evidence of her intent to destroy their masterpiece. Even better, the machine in question was still intact, currently undergoing an apparently approving investigation from their sister's arch enemy.

"Nice engineering." Shego made a pretence of admiring the rocket, nodding her head as she examined the craftmanship. "Pretty good for a couple of fourteen year olds."

"We're twelve." Jim piped up, his voice smug with pride as his work was treated with respect by someone other than his father. Inwardly Shego grinned as she peeked through the corner of her eye at the exasperated look in Kim's face.

"Really?" Shego allowed her voice to rise as if in surprise. "You know, this is a nice piece of work, what mix did you use in the fuel?"

She let the boys prattle on about Nitrous Oxide ratio's and other things she had no interest in, all the while keeping an eye on Kim while the redheaded girl's frustrations grew, as evidenced by the emotions playing across her features.

"Oh come on Pumpkin, you have to admit, your brothers are pretty handy with the explosives." Shego interrupted the twin's flow, thereby drawing their attention to the expression on their older sisters face.

"Gaaah." Kim couldn't take any more schmoozing and propelled herself up from the floor. Slamming the now redundant frying pan on the kitchen table she stomped out of the room.

"She never appreciates our work, she just destroys it." Tim's voice was laden with resentment as he watched his sister leave.

"And you let her get away with that?" Shego probed, hoping they weren't sophisticated enough to detect the way she was steering the conversation.

"Hell no." Jim's voice piped up with an upbeat tone. "Let's just say she doesn't put her shoes on without having to check them first." This last comment elicited a chuckle from his brother. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Wow was she mad."

A smile broke out on Shego's face. Not only was Kim going to owe her, it looked like she was going to have plenty of ammunition for the next time the two women met in combat.

"Now this story I HAVE to hear." She draped an arm over each of the boy's shoulders sweeping them out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Tell me about it."

Kim was sitting hunched in the armchair when they entered. Unable to storm out again without looking petty, she just had to suffer in silence as the three conspiritors swapped stories about her humiliations.

Early on, she had tried to intervene, bringing up her own victories over Shego, but her brothers never seemed interested in those. Shego was handing them potential dynamite and they intended to absorb as much as possible.

Finally, glancing at the clock, Shego rose from the sofa where she had been sitting. "Look boys, it's been great chatting and all, but I've got some shopping to put away. I mean, look at the time, we've been talking for over an hour already." With an evil smirk at the teenager now sitting hunched in her chair, followed by a wink, she swept out of the room leaving the Possible siblings alone in the room together.

"And what the hell was that all about?" Kim rounded on her brothers with a hiss, almost as soon as her nemesis had left the room.

"What, she's pretty cool." The twins chimed in together, Jim actually putting away a pad where he had been taking notes.

"Look, how would you like to earn twenty bucks?" Kim decided to try a different tack. There was no way she was going to let Shego get away with this.

"Doing what?" Tim looked at her suspiciously, his big sister not being renowned for generosity to her younger brothers.

"Can't you see how she wrapped you round her little finger? She played the two of you like a finely tuned piano."

"Huh?" The two boys looked at each other in total incomprehension.

"Alright, Alright." Kim realised she was going to have to sweeten the pot a little. "Twenty bucks and five free rides a week for a month. Just wipe that smug look off her face will you?"

Jim and Tim looked at each other and then at their sister. "Twenty bucks, free rides and your DVD player, and you're on."

"What do you need... forget it, I don't want to know. You're on." Kim held out her hand to shake on it. The boys left, already planning some diabolical scheme to win their prize, while Kim settled down with a self satisfied smile on her face.

It soon became apparent that she would have to wait for her revenge. Dinner time proved an unexpected trial, as Shego amused the boys with stories of her own younger brother's exploits. Only a single wink thrown her way during the main course told her that they had not forgotten their agreement.

For Shego, the meal reminded her of simpler times, before her family relationships had become so strained, even going as far as to bring back memories of life before the comet. Kim's brothers were older than her own twin siblings had been, but they had the same zest for living without any of the cynicism as the Wego's, and she found herself enjoying their company more than she thought possible. Even Kim seemed to lighten up half way through the main course.

As darkness fell, the Possible household settled down for the night. Jim and Tim were sent to bed for testing the effects of Heavy water on the goldfish, and Kim and Shego both turned in early, their earlier excursion tiring them out more than either of them had expected. It didn't help that Anne Possible had scolded them both about their morning activities, lecturing them about the finer points of muscle healing and the dangers of a relapse. Both women were glad to escape to the peace and quiet of their own rooms.

Only the two Dr Possibles were up, relaxing over a book and some fine wine, so there was no-one to notice the van parked across the street, nor the furtive movements of a black clad figure sneaking across the road, focussing what looked like a hand held satellite dish on the second floor windows. After a few moments, he pulled out a radio and flipped the switch.

"Am in position. Prepare for phase three." 

For someone who had been operating on the wrong side of the law for as long as she had, Shego was a pretty good sleeper, but even asleep, her instincts and senses were on alert for the tiniest hint of trouble. It wasn't long, therefore, before her dreams were interrupted by a sixth sense that she was in danger. Eyes flashed open as she lay still, seeking to identify what it was that had awakened her, until finally, she could hear stealthy movements the other side of her door, and even the soft whisper of a voice.

Slinking noiselessly from under the duvet, she crept over to the door, as silent as any ninja, her every muscle tense in case it should open before she got there. Positioning herself just out of direct firing range, she reached out and with one movement, jerked open the door, while launching a bolt of green fire at whatever intruder was behind it.

Both Dr Possible's heads jerked up at the concussive thud they heard from the upstairs floor, closely followed by a high pitched scream from a voice they knew well. Book and glasses went flying as they shot to their feet, and ran to the stairwell, meeting a terrified Jim rushing down, his face white with fear. Passing the scared boy to her husband, Anne Possible was sick with apprehension at what she might find as she rushed up the stairs to find Shego kneeling on the floor with a sobbing Tim scooped up in her arms, while repeating over and over again, "I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry."

Anne quickly moved in and relinquished the shaken Shego of her charge. A rapid check for injuries remarkably revealed only a slight charring of the hair on one side of his head. Fortunately, anticipating an adult assailant, Shego had aimed too high to cause any damage, although Dr Possible could now see the sweeping scorchmark running up the wall opposite the door to her room where her arm had pulled up as soon as she saw who her erstwhile attackers were.

Satisfied that her son was unharmed, her attention now turned to the young woman still kneeling on the floor in front of her. Eyes were unfocused, and the body began to shiver as she kept repeating "I'm sorry."

Recognising shock when she saw it, Dr Possible stood up, and took Jim back to his room, depositing him in his bed while promising to be back soon. She then returned to find the thief still kneeling in the hallway, staring vacantly at the wall. Gently lifting her to her feet, Anne steered Shego back into her room and coaxed her to lay down on the bed, swiftly covering the shivering body with the bedclothes.

Hearing movement by the door, she saw Kim staring white faced at the scene before her. Wanting to get back to her son as quickly as possible, she waved her daughter into the room, instructing her to reassure the shocked woman now curled up in bed that no harm had been done.

Kim was left alone, unsure what to do next, but feeling sick in the pit of her stomach at the danger she had put her young brothers into. What kind of hero was she that tempted fate just to save face? Badly shaken herself, she sat on the bed and stroked the green woman's shoulder, constantly reassuring her charge that noone was hurt in her best babysitting voice, while in her own mind a little voice was repeating over and over again "No thanks to you."

She finally left the room once she was satisfied that Shego had gone to sleep, only to be met by her mother coming out of the boys room having settled her sons back down for the night.

"I don't know what got into them." Kim's mothers voice was questioning. "It is so unlike them to pull something like this on a guest. We're just lucky that Shego's reactions were fast enough to prevent something much worse."

Kim nodded glumly, feeling worse by the minute as her mother went to update her husband on the state of affairs. Trudging back to bed herself, guilt welled up inside her causing tears to prick at her eyes as she climbed the stairs into her room. She sat on the bed and let her head fall into her hands as she tried to take in what had happened, when the four note alarm rang out from her Kimmunicator sitting on the desk.

Numbly picking up the device, she activated the screen, to see Wade's face peering out from his room.

"Hey Wade, what's the sitch?" Her voice was lifeless, not caring what world catastrophe was taking place, but the young man's voice cut through her misery.

"I thought you ought to see this Kim, I'm patching you in on the local news channel."

The screen flickered and suddenly, his face was replaced by those of the two anchors of the Middleton News.

"The body was identified as one Robert Brinkley, a part time worker for the once notorious criminal, now Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr Drakken."

The picture changed to reveal the smouldering remains of Dr Dementor's lair where she had had her fateful encounter with Drakken and Shego.

"He was found in an old test laboratory near to the center of the mystery blast, apparently unable to escape in time before being incinerated."

A picture of a youngish man appeared on the screen, and Kim's jaw dropped as she recognised the guard she had knocked out in her infiltration of the lair. A guard she had forgotten about totally in all the subsequent furore, and one she had apparently doomed to a firey death.

"Survived by a wife and two children..." Kim heard nothing more as she let the Kimmunicator fall from her slack fingers.

When Anne Possible got up the next morning to check on her convalescing patients, it was to find Shego gone, and Kim curled up in a ball on her bed, staring red eyed at the wall. 


	8. Ch 7 A Lost Opportunity

Deep in the darkness, something was awakening. A shadow deeper than even the blackness filling the entombed cavern, and yet as insubstantial as smoke. There was some light down here, eerie phosphorescent slime and fungi dotted the walls and floor, but it simply enhanced the dark open space that had long been hidden from the upper world. Rousing itself from it's stupor, the thing shook off the last vestiges of the psychic backlash it had suffered at the destruction of it's mightiest servant.

A thousand years it had been trapped, locked away for the good of mankind, but now the locks to it's dimensional prison were crumbling and once more it could spread it's influence out into the world of man. Adauchi, the nameless now had a name, gifted by Lord Mikaboshi, god of evil, who had appeared a week ago in a swirling grey vortex of power.

Pacts were made, fealty offered and accepted, and finally power granted. Adauchi was given the gift of the Oni, and the chance to seek revenge on those who had imprisoned it for so long.

Secretly it had infiltrated even the most devout organizations dedicated to watching over the dark entities of the world, culminating in the successful assault on the Yamanouchi school, and the death of the one man with the knowledge to stop it's evil designs before they could blossom into fruition.

Briefly the entity savoured the memory of the moment when the head of it's most hated enemy was torn apart, but that only led to recollection of the subsequent disaster. Learning from it's spies within the Yamanouchi organisation, it had discovered that there was one other with the power to stand between it and total victory. Eager to eliminate all threats to it's power, it had dispatched the Oni once more, only to discover that there was still one Yamanouchi faction still loyal to their Sensei's teachings, resulting in the subsequent disaster.

Still, the symbol of it's earlier success was evident in the gloom. Suspended two feet above the ground on one side of the underground cavern hung a blade, softly glowing with it's own blue aura. The Lotus Blade. Replete with power, it repelled the darkness with soft azure light, but already a blemish could be seen marring the perfect sphere of illumination. Barely noticable, an angry red corruption was spreading through the light, and as it grew, so did the power of Adauchi.

Aware that time was not on it's side, the entity let it's awareness spread out into the physical world, seeking a new minion to take the Oni's place.

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She stormed through the lair like a thundercloud, one look at her face and everyone knew just to keep out of her way. Heading for her private quarters, she looked neither left nor right until she finally reached her sanctuary. Slamming the door behind her, she didn't come out again for two days. The rest of Drakken's henchmen walked softly when passing her door, not wanting to bring down the wrath of their captain on their heads if they should inadvertantly disturb her. Whatever was wrong, it had left her in a foul mood, and noone wanted to be the one she vented her fury on.

Eventually, it was Dr Drakken himself who finally had to enter the dragon's lair, knocking gently on her door, ready to run at the first flicker of green flame.

"Err Shego?" His voice tentative with nerves. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Sweat beaded on his brow as he fought the urge to run. Finally he decided she was still ignoring him, and thankfully turned to leave, just glad to be in one piece. Just as he took the first step, however, the door opened behind him, and she walked out of her room.

Drakken's first instinct was to flinch. Certainly the look on his lieutenant's face was one of her more fearsome expressions, but with barely a glance at his cringing form, she strode off down the corridor leading to the main laboratory. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Dr Drakken swallowed his fear, and headed after his second in command.

The hallways before her cleared, as word quickly spread that the plasma throwing supervillain was once more stalking the corridors of Drakken's lair. Everyone made certain to be somewhere she was not, only a single synthodrone, it's AI programming not quick enough to understand the threat bearing down on it, had the misfortune of blundering into her path. She dispatched it with a single swipe of her clawed gloves, stepping around the rapidly spreading puddle of goo as it sank to the ground.

Her destination was the main control room where Drakken's security systems and latest technological devices were maintained. Walking over to a panel, she began punching commands into the main computer, fingers stabbing furiously at the keyboard as she vented her anger.

Deep within the complex, huge machinery groaned into life. Above ground, bushes trembled as a gigantic hydraulic system forced open a secret door, revealing the pulse laser poised to fire it's energy into space. With a final stab of her forefinger, the laser belched out it's destructive payload and once more sank back behind it's concealed doors.

Drakken hurried over to a tracking station, desperate to see what his volatile employee had done. Fingers darted over the controls, until he got the information he was looking for. His jaw dropped as he read the figures on the screen and he turned to look aghast at the woman who was still staring at the main display screen on the wall.

"You destroyed the Astra satellite!" Disbelief caused his voice to raise in pitch. "What on earth were you thinking?"

"Let's see them broadcast Fox News now!" Shego's voice dripped with malevolent determination as she finally turned away from her console.

While her boss's jaw dropped at the sheer mindlessness of the destruction, Shego savoured the calming effect of having blown something to smithereens, gradually coming down from the natural high she was feeling, and becoming aware of the incredulous stares being directed her way.

"Oh relax!" She dismissed worries of being found responsible for the act with a wave of her hand. "I bounced it off two Russian satellites and the moon. They'll never find out who did it." The thick tension that had pervaded the lair since her return two days ago broke as the dark haired villainess spun on her heel and strolled back out of the control room, leaving Drakken and his henchmen to look at each other in bewilderment.

Shego on the other hand was feeling much better for the first time since her return to the lair. Two days of fighting with her sub-conscious, guilt and remorse battling against the rising tide of anger that always surfaced during times like these, had culminated in a surge of fury, triggered this time by a news report she had seen on her TV set back in her quarters. The act of relinquishing control over her darkest side, always seemed to put things in perspective, and allowed her to regain equanimity, even though this attack was the worst one she had experienced for many years. Satisfied that the demons in her mind had once more been locked away, she retired to her chambers for the first proper sleep she had had in days.

Away from the curious eyes of the henchmen, Shego settled down in her rooms with one aim in mind. The immediate frustration had been exorcised, but there was still the underlying problem to be dealt with. Drakken had warned her about reinforcing false thought processes, and what had she done? Only gone and bonded with her own worst enemy that was what.

"Christ on a bike, I even bought her shoes!"

If Shego's life was to return to normal, she had to get back to doing what she did best. Stripping off, and settling herself under green and black silk sheets, she was determined that from now on she would go back to her roots. First she would sort out her own insecurities by confirming her place in the criminal underworld, and then she would deal with Kim Possible once and for all.

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Satisfaction swept over the entity as it savoured the taste of a mind in turmoil. The sheer capacity for hate and jealousy was astounding, coupled with an iron clad certainty of their own superiority made this a subject ripe for subversion. The irony that the target could have been a force for good, judging by the career choices made by other members of it's family, was simply the icing on the cake. Not wanting to rush the process, a simple mental suggestion was implanted, doing nothing more than priming the target for further manipulation.

Really, the individual was perfect. It already had a recent knowledge of the target, and a pre-existing interest in its elimination. There was even the possibility of gaining further allies based on it's extensive connections with the criminal underclass.

There was one thought uppermost in the subject's mind, however, that led the shadowy manipulator to rethink it's approach. If the Monkey Master was to be destroyed, then the first step would have to be the removal of a certain Kim Possible.

Letting the connection drop for now, the Adauchi pondered on this new player in the aeon long struggle for domination that was being fought between Good and Evil. Over the next few days it would reconnect with it's new servant, reinforcing the subtle control it had established over their mind while gently steering the subject's priorities into alignment with its own. As long as it worked through intermediaries, the chances of discovery were slim, and after ten centuries of waiting, a few more weeks would not make much of a difference. Besides, it's other plans were progressing well, this would only be a small delay in the big scheme of things.

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"Oh man, I thought homework finished with highschool." The young man's whine went unacknowledged by the dark haired asian girl sitting opposite. Her fringe hung down over her face as she sat pouring over a leather bound book, occasionally referring to a delicate parchment that sat next to her. Dressed in her school uniform she looked nothing like the highly skilled ninja assassin he knew her to be.

Although she didn't show it, Yori too was feeling frustrated. Although the raid on Monkey Fist's ancestral home had gone well, and they had returned with several intriguing documents, deciphering them was proving a long and painful process. Many of the books were written in some strange pseudo language, taking references from sources as widely dispersed as Latin, proto-ugaric and ancient chinese among others. Only Monkey-Fist's notes pencilled into large notebooks had given them any clue as to how to begin to decipher the bewildering array of texts, but it was still hard going, and she had to admit that her partner was not the most dedicated of scholars.

Another large sigh made her finally look up, only to see Ron lounging back in his chair, swinging on the rear legs as his head lolled limply over the back rest. A smile touched her lips at the epitomy of boredom that faced her.

Ron had his eyes closed in an attempt to stop the spidery script swirling into an incomprehensable blur. With a groan, he let the chair fall forward back onto all four legs, and let the momentum swing his head down to rest on his folded arms on the table.

A brief waft of delicate perfume was his only warning before two strong hands gently pushed his shoulders down into the tabletop. Before he could even open his mouth to protest, strong fingers began to dig into the tense muscles around his shoulders and neck. Any desire to speak up vanished as the tension was roughly massaged away, until he couldn't help but groan with relief.

The digital manipulation continued, forcing the muscles back into realignment, and leaving the young man limp with the sensation. After about ten minutes of this treatment, the hands stopped kneading, and began a more gentle caress, working on the bare skin around his neck. Nerves tingled wherever he felt the delicate strokes, as his whole body felt invigorated by the expert manipulation it was receiving.

Finally, the hands removed themselves. Opening his eyes, he caught a flash of bare thigh as Yori walked back to her seat at the other end of the table, her short skirt causing any number of inappropriate thoughts to rise briefly in his mind. His eyes followed those legs as they moved around the table, only rising to meet the young girl's eyes once she had sat down.

"Perhaps Stoppable San will now be able to concentrate harder on the matter in hand." Her voice held an undertone of menace, warning Ron that his usual approach of skivving off work was not going to cut much ice with this woman.

Swallowing hard, and desparately seeking to gather his ragged thoughts together, Ron turned once more to the volume he was reading, only to look up a few moments later to see his companion deep in study. With a sigh, he too returned to his work, although he could not help looking up every few minutes, his emotions suddenly unsettled as he struggled with his own feelings.

It was several hours later, that an increase in the background noise woke Ron from his impromptu nap. Jerking awake, his bleary vision took a few moments to focus before he could see Yori rifling through a stack of parchments, obviously looking for some reference.

Finally finding what she was looking for, the young japanese girl turned her attention back to the weighty tome she had been reading.

"Ha!" The underlying tone of satisfaction could not be denied. Lifting her head up to look directly at Ron, she grinned with triumph. "It's not aboriginal, it's proto-bantu, a much older root language."

Ignoring the look of total incomprehension on her audience's face, Yori rushed headlong into a full explanation. "Look, this word here. Monkey Fist correctly assumed it was a mis-translation of the original text but he got the language wrong. He thought it should have said ecstacy, whereas it is actually correctly translated as agony."

The look on the young woman's face was electric as her eyes gleamed with triumph. "It's not the tower of ecstacy we should be looking for, but the Mountain of Agony."

"And that helps us how?" Ron's voice was rather too sarcastic for Yori's liking. Her expression quickly fell into an exasperated glare before assuming a more controlled state.

"It helps us because the old Yamanouchi texts speak of the mountain of suffering, where Sensei Toshimiru passed the test of endurance on the path to enlightenment."

"And you know where that is right?"

"Well no, but we think it is somewhere in the mountain kingdom of Bhutan. That should be a good place to start." Yori wasn't going to let the mere fact that they had to search through an entire country dampen her spirits now.

Ron too was hopeful. If anyone could track down the location of a thousand year old legend it was Wade. "No problem, you just call up one of your ninja jets and we'll be out of here."

"I am afraid that is no longer possible Stoppable san." Yori's voice somehow managed to express regret and disapproval at the same time. "It appears that the Yamanouchi elders believe the dangers are too great." Yori's voice was getting harsher with every word until each one spat with contempt. "Makoto tells me that all students have been ordered to return at once by order of the circle of elders."

"Yu... Your leaving?" Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Were Jiro's and Kyoko's deaths for nothing?" His voice grew louder at the injustice of it all.

"NO!" Yori's emphatic cry made the young man jump. "I swore to avenge Sensei, and will not rest until his killers are dead."

Ron blinked at the intensity of her emotion. All this time he had seen her as a woman, highly skilled in martial arts that was true, although that wasn't such novelty for him after all. But now she seemed more than that. She was a ninja, a trained assassin, perfectly at ease with the concept of killing her enemies, and that was something he was not familiar with.

"We will just have to find another way to reach our goal."

Ron sighed. Was he ever going to get a chance to just sit down with Kim and talk through their problems? Not any time soon by the look of things.

"Come on" he said. "Getting to his feet, he headed for the newly repaired door. "Hopefully Kim is still speaking to me, she can get a ride anywhere."

Yori pulled a face at the thought of facing the redhead, but seeing no other way rose to her feet. "Er Stoppable san?" Ron turned to look at her standing by the foot of the stairs. "I think I had better get changed first."

Seeing the girl standing there in white blouse, short pleated skirt and knee high white socks, he couldn't help but agree. If Kim saw the two of them together like that, his relationship would definitely be over.

"If it isn't already" he thought to himself.

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Ron Stoppable figured he had been in more awkward situations, but he couldn't think of any right now. Crammed in the cockpit of an old turbo-prop Dakota airplane, wedged between his potentially ex girlfriend, and the woman with which she thought he had been cheating on her. No, this had to be the worst situation he had ever had the misfortune of finding himself in.

Glancing to his left, he saw Yori, outwardly the very essence of stoic aloofness, although he could see a tightness in her jaw betraying the tension she must be feeling. This was the least of his worries, however.

On his right, gazing listlessly out of the window was Kim Possible. Her whole demeanour one of lethargy and detachment, she had been worrying him from the time he had appeared on her doorstep with Yori in tow. Her voice had been deadpan and robotic as she agreed to help him find the hidden mountain, barely registering Yori's presence, and not displaying any of her usual animation. He had spent the last three hours thinking of the right thing to say to snap her out of her catatonia, but nothing had come to mind as yet. Miserable, Ron steeled himself for a most uncomfortable journey.

Yori was not nearly so composed on the inside as the facade she projected to the world. Unexpected feelings had risen inside her over the past few days, enhanced by the dangers and adrenalin rushes she had experienced undertaking her self appointed task as the Monkey Master's bodyguard. Feelings she had thought long suppressed were now welling up inside her heart despite her determination to remain professionally detached from her charge.

Surrepticiously glancing at the blond youth beside her, she was struck by the fact that he was just so average. Not particularly good looking, and certainly not very bright, there was some quality that shone through despite his mediocrity. Looking back on the recent events to have befallen them, she realised that it was that very attribute of ordinariness about him that made him so special. Despite all his faults and shortcomings, he was always willing to do what was right. Fiercely loyal to his friends, he displayed a courage that more accomplished men could not hope to achieve as he rose above his failings to do the best he possibly could in all circumstances.

A wave of fierce protectiveness washed over her, as she once more reiterated to herself that nothing would harm the young man she was sworn to protect, even if it cost her, her life. Still, she couldn't deny the bond that had developed between the two of them, and it did not sit comfortably on her shoulders. Desperate to get the whole horrible situation over with as fast as possible, Yori focussed on an old buddhist mantra designed to calm the spirit and empty the mind; with limited success.

Kim's thoughts defied classification as she stared numbly out of the window, but it wasn't cloud formations that she could see. Barely aware of the other passengers in the aircraft, all she could see in her mind's eye, was a family photo of a youngish man standing next to an adoring wife flanked by two little girls stood sheepishly staring into the camera. It was a picture distributed across the news networks introducing a human factor into the tragedy of a man's death, designed to elicit sympathy and sorrow for the family left behind, but in her case it only brought misery and recrimination. Time no longer had meaning for her as she wallowed in self loathing, cutting herself off from outside stimuli in an attempt to shield herself from her own conscience.

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The plane landed on a remote airstrip deep within the Himalayas, but Wade assured them that Ri Na Zug Chen Po, loosely translated as "Mountain of Pain", was just over the next ridge. Apparently some museum in Kyoto Japan had had reference to ancient documents confirming it's location. Ron could only console himself with the thought that Wade had never let them down yet. Certainly his companions were doing nothing to enhance his peace of mind.

Yori was all business. To fit in, she had covered her usual working outfit in a close approximation of the local peasant wear, but Ron knew she had a utility belt around her waist, on which she hung her fans. She also had a black leather quiver capped to prevent the contents from falling out, which she slung over her head and shoulder so that it rested crossways on her back. Only her boots, with the split toe hinted to her real identity. Her face looked grim as she geared herself up to the task ahead.

Kim on the other hand hardly seemed to know where she was, or even care for that matter. She didn't even think to thank the pilot for giving them a lift, leaving Ron to do the honours. As the small party set off towards the distant ridge, Yori leading followed by Ron and then Kim, she seemed distant and uncharacteristically subdued.

Ron was so busy keeping an eye on Kim, he forgot to watch where he was going. The sudden yelp of surprise followed by a splash as he slipped down the bank and fell into the paddy field, drew an exasperated sigh from the young ninja leading the party.

"Stoppable San. Can we please dispense with the comic relief interludes?" Her voice expressed her disapproval, while Ron looked up stupified with water dripping from his hair. Turning away, Yori once more lead the way towards the ridge, while Ron quickly scrambled back up the bank to see Kim looking down on him with a faintly amused look on her face.

"She's much harsher on you than I ever was!" Kim's expression seemed distracted as well as amused, as if she were seeing something properly for the first time. Ron wasn't sure how to take this but took heart from the hope that his friend was displaying a more characteristic interest in her situation.

The climb up the ridge wasn't the most difficult ascent they had ever had to deal with, but was time consuming and physically draining. Once at the top, the small party left behind the evidence of human habitation and began scaling the foothills of Ri Na Zug Chen Po.

Several hours later found them climing the mountain itelf. It wasn't particularly high, but mist shrouded it's peak regardless, and Ron couldn't help feeling the air was getting colder as they scaled it's heights.

Eventually, they reached a sheer cliff face that would have daunted a less determined climber. Ron and Kim broke out their standard grappling hook launchers, while Yori pulled out a specialised pair of gloves from a pouch on her belt. Two ropes fired up into the clouds above their heads, leaving Yori muttering a few choice words about western disregard for old fashioned values as her two companions quickly began to ascend the rock face.

There were a few hairy moments, especially tackling an overhang three quarters of the way up, but Ron reached the top in good shape. Pulling himself over the lip of the ledge he had reached, he took a few moments to catch his breath, before looking to see how far ahead Kim was.

For Kim, the routine of climbing a sheer rock face was almost second nature, her fingers seeking out handholds naturally without her even thinking about it. Unfortunately, that left her mind free to focus on a pair of images that had been haunting her dreams for the past few days. A pair of eyes behind a Drakken Henchman mask, dark brown and masculine, reflecting an unseen flicker of flame, and two green orbs, mocking and cruel as if gloating at a final victory. Wrenching her attention back to the matter in hand, she began to contemplate the best way to tackle the overhang, her eyes flicking around, looking for a possible route when she saw something out of the corner of her eye, and involuntarily she looked down.

Yori was finding the ascent much harder, although still well within her capabilities. The special gloves she wore had hooks built in, giving her an additional grip on top of her natural abilities, but she was still straggling behind the two companions who had gone on ahead of her.

Breaking out of one particularly dense mist patch, she caught her first sight of the overhang that had given Ron a small amount of trouble a few minutes earlier. Cursing her luck, the oriental woman began scoping out her best line of approach when she caught sight of a smudge blotting the natural cliff face. She began to climb once more, until she could make out what the object was. Shifting her direction, she pulled herself up to the side of Kim Possible, who was gripping the rock face with a death like grip, her eyes closed and tears running down her cheeks.

"Possbile San, are you all right?" Yori's voice was at first confused but quickly shifted to compassionate as she realised what the problem was. Kim Possible, Teen superhero and the girl who could do anything had lost her nerve.

"Kim San." Yori's voice took on a much gentler tone, as she began to lash the rope from Kim's grappling hook around her waist as a belay line. A gentle touch of the back of her gloved hand, caused Kim's eyes to open revealing a scared look in her deep green eyes.

"Come Possible San." Yori's voice took on a soft hypnotic cadence as she put an arm around the stricken female allowing her to take Kim's weight to some degree. "We shall reach the top together."

Under Yori's insistant coaxing, her throat gulping as she swallowed down her fear, Kim once more began to climb. Her progress was hesitant and slow, but the ninja was always there to make sure she did not stop, until they finally made it to the ledge where Ron was waiting anxiously.

The two woman clambered onto level ground where they both lay back for a moment to catch their breath. Ron looked on confused. Had Yori got into trouble and Kim gone back to help? Kim's face looked pale, and there was a sheen of sweat on her brow. Kicking himself for not considering her recent convalescence, he went to ask if she was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kim's voice had that toneless quality again, and Ron looked over at Yori, a questioning look on his face.

Yori chose discretion over valour, and pretended not to notice. Instead, she began to study the rockface, where it appeared a trifle too smooth to be natural. Running her fingers gently over the stone, she felt a pattern etched into the rock, almost invisible to the eye after many years of weathering, but undoubtably man made.

Closing her eyes to focus more on her sense of touch, Yori traced out the Kanji symbol for Yamanouchi, the slightly italicised lean of the symbol pointing towards the east.

Her eyes shot open, shining in triumph, Kim Possible's condition forgotten in the excitement. "Come Stoppable San" her address became more formal than it had been of late, the sense of occasion seemed to demand it. Without looking back she walked along the ledge, disappearing around a boulder that had fallen many years earlier. Ron hesitantly went to follow then looked back at the redhead, still sitting on the rock shelf, looking out over the landscape far below them.

"Come on KP." Ron put on an enthusiastic display as he helped the young woman to her feet. "I know your side must be killing you, but we'll be able to rest soon."

As Ron babbled aimlessly, Kim let him help her to her feet, glad for the ready excuse of her recent wound to hide the fear she had felt suspended over the large drop down the mountainside. Her legs were still shaky as she slowly followed her friend, heading off in the direction Yori had disappeared, some moments earlier. Even now, she could feel her heart hammering inside her chest as she remembered the terrifying moment when she thought she was going to fall.

Yori hadn't gone far, before a shallow cave had opened up in the mountainside. Once more, kanji characters proclaimed this site as Yamanouchi, and Ron and Kim found Yori inside the cave running her fingertips over the back wall of the cavern.

Finding nothing, she backed out, and sent Ron inside to see if he could find anything. Once outside, she was again confronted with the pale face of Kim. There was no way the young redhead was ready for whatever lay ahead, Yori was seriously beginning to regret bringing her.

Before she could say anything, however, a shout came from inside the cave. "Way to go Rufus!"

Both girls turned to peer into the gloomy interior, so see Ron standing by a newly opened secret door, leading deep into the mountain. Standing on a small rock protrusion emerging from the cavern floor, was Rufus with a big grin on his face as he revealed the triggering mechanism.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Ron was starting to get excited now. "Come on ladies, lets go."

A flicker of fear ran across Kim's face, too quick for Ron to notice, but not Yori.

"I am afraid that is not possible Stoppable San." Her voice sounded harsh in the silence. "The carvings around the rock promise grave punishment to any not of Yamanouchi heritage who pass beyond this door.

Kim and Yori shared a look, as the young ninja walked back into the cave. "I am afraid that Possible San will have to wait outside."

"Wha.. Buh.." Ron looked flummoxed at the thought of leaving Kim behind. While Yori broke out a light stick from a pouch on her belt, he went over to have a private word with his old friend.

"Come on Kim, you can do anything. You're not going to let a little curse hold you back, surely." Ron's cajoling brought a small smile to her ruby lips, but Kim just shook her head and sat herself down in the cave entrance.

"I'm sure you and Yori can handle whatever is inside. I'll just wait for you here."

Ron looked down at her for a moment before taking a step backwards.

"Well, if you're sure." His voice hesitant as he adjusted to the idea that Kim wouldn't be coming with them.

"Come Stoppable San. The light will not last forever." Yori beckoned him over to the passageway leading off into the mountain. With one last look at is friend, Ron disappeared into the dark, followed by a still smug Rufus.

With her audience finally gone, Kim loosened the mental grip she had on her emotions and dropped her head into her hands. Her shoulders shook as she heaved silent sobs and a single tear trickled down one cheek.

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The darkness was absolute, except for the soft green glow of the flourescent wand some meters ahead. Hurrying to catch up, Ron stumbled over the rough floor, nearly bumping into Yori as she suddenly stopped.

Peering over her shoulder to see what the problem was, Ron could see six niches cut into the passage walls, three on each side. They were mostly shrouded in shadow, but he could just make out a shape in the nearest pair of alcoves from the light of the glowstick.

"Monkey guardians." Yori's voice sounded hollow causing Ron to shiver, and Rufus to seek refuge back in his usual pocket. "They do not concern us." With that hardly reassuring comment, she began to walk on down the passage.

Forcing himself to follow was the hardest thing Ron had had to do in a very long time. His skin prickled as he walked past the first pair of alcoves, just able to make out a skeletal shape with an overlarge head standing to attention as if on parade. Hurrying after the quickly vanishing light source, he took care not to look to either side as he passed the other two recesses.

Once past the sentinals, however, he began to breathe easier, and he followed Yori, until they came to a flight of stairs cut into the rock, leading down further into the mountain.

Ron counted fifteen steps before he noticed that Yori's lightstick was no longer the only light. Ahead of them was a soft yellow glow coming from an as yet unknown source.

Seven more steps brought them to the bottom, with a short passage leading into a spacious opening, perhaps ten feet in diameter, and seven or eight feet high. There in the centre, on a pedastal of worked granite was the mysterious source of light. Resting on the plinth was a gold circlet, surrounded by a glowing yellow haze.

Breathless Yori approached the pedastal. Muttering a few reverent words in Japanese, she reached out to touch the phenomenon. Ron's heart leapt into his mouth at the rashness of such a move, but before he could make a sound, Yori let out her own gasp of astonishment.

Her hand, which had been reaching out to take the headpiece, had simply passed through the object as if it were a mirage. Not quite believing it, she waved her hand twice more, each time it simply passed through the gold band.

Mesmerised by the whole experience, Ron moved beside her, and with a disbelieving look, waved his own hand in order to see it pass through the apparently solid object.

CLANG!

As his hand connected, the headband was knocked off it's plinth and dropped noisily to the floor where it rolled away to be lost in the darkness as the light previously suffusing the small room vanished.

Cursing at his own clumsiness, Ron blundered about for a bit until his eyes once more adjusted to the lesser light of Yori's glowstick. Peering into the gloom, Ron felt movement on his trouser leg as Rufus ran down from his pocket perch, heading for a golden gleam he had seen in the shadows.

Ron watched relieved as he saw his small companion run over to the circlet where it had come to rest lying against the wall of the room. When Rufus went to pick it up, however, Ron had to blink a few times to be sure his eyes were not playing tricks. Whereas before the metal headband had seemed of a size to fit an adult human head, in Rufus's claws it appeared no larger than a small bracelet.

"Yup Yup..." Rufus was feeling particularly pleased with himself today. Not only had he found the secret entrance, but he had also rescued the thing they had apparently come to find. With a big grin on his face, he took the gold ring and held it up above his own head.

"NOOO!" Yori's cry was too late. Rufus brought his arms down and placed the circlet on his forehead. Ron looked on anxiously, not sure what was going to happen, but sure it wasn't anything good.

Rufus stood, a bemused look on his face at Yori's outburst, when suddenly, his whole body went rigid. Both paws shot up to grip the metal band that was fitting so tightly around his head, and he bent over as excruciating pain swept through his small skull.

Ron rushed over as he saw his pet collapse with an agonised look on his face, small rodent eyes squeezed shut as the pain became almost too great to stand.

"Rufus!" Ron swept him up into his cupped hands, then tried to pry the hoop off of Rufus's head. it was stuck and wouldn't move.

Yori was suddenly by his side, trying to help him remove the ring, but nothing they could do would even get it to budge. Sharing a look, they wordlessly came to the conclusion that nothing could be done here, and they turned back to the exit, Ron carrying the twitching body of his mole rat friend as carefully as he could.

Hurrying back up the stairs, the two companions barely registered the now collapsed piles of bones nestled in the wall niches, their only thought was to get Rufus out into the daylight where they could maybe help him remove the cursed headpiece.

Kim heard them coming several seconds before they burst out of the tunnel, running footsteps preceded by an unearthly screeching sound that turned out to be Rufus who was obviously in distress.

Once in daylight, Ron lay Rufus down on the cave floor, and once more made an attempt to remove the ring from his friend's head. There was no more movement than before, and the three humans looked at each other in despair as the pink hairless rodent rolled on the ground, his claws clutching at the metal band around his head and squealing his agony.

This continued for a several minutes, before Rufus suddenly went rigid, his eyes shot open staring at some unseen vision while his jaw worked laboriously. He managed to speak one word, "'lenium" before collapsing into unconsciousness, his body limp and his paws finally releasing their grip on the headband.

Ron quickly checked for a pulse, relieved to find that his friend was still alive, while Kim tried to pull off the band, and Yori searched through her belt to find anything that could help remove it.

Nothing worked, and they sat for a while, clueless as to what to do next while relieved that at least Rufus was no longer feeling the pain. Eventually, there appeared to be signs of him regaining consciousness, aided by Ron waving a piece of cheese under his nose.

Rufus awoke, pale and shaken. Ron picked him up and gently placed him into his pocket. Without a word he walked out of the cave and began to head back to the airfield.

The flight back home was a subdued affair, with Ron fussing over his pet, while Rufus constantly tugged and pulled at the gold band around his head. It appeared it was stuck there for good.

Kim was lost in her own world, leaning against the window watching the rain run down the glass. In the few moments he was not worrying about Rufus, Ron was worrying about Kim. There was something different about her, had been since they had left the cave. Something missing.

Yori was torn between watching Ron care for Rufus, and wondering how Kim was going to cope with her sudden loss of confidence. She had seen it before in students who were badly injured in training. Sometimes they never regained that self belief necessary to excel in their craft. Those who didn't never lasted long, and the young ninja hoped that fate didn't lie in store for Kim.

There was something else bothering her, however. The prophesies had led them to the long lost cave of Toshimiru, and they had found a mystical artifact that should have given them their answers. It was obviously waiting for the Monkey Master, the fact that no-one else could touch it was a dead giveaway. Instead, fate had led a naked mole-rat with Mystical Monkey Power to wear the circlet instead. Whatever prophesy was locked inside the band was trapped in the mind of a rodent who could barely talk. It was infuriating.

Yori tried to center herself, closing her eyes and noiselessly chanting a mantra in her mind in an attempt to find peace. Her brain, however, was too fired up to relax, and all attempts to find calm were brushed aside. Yori sighed. This had been happening far too often recently.

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Shego was bored.

And Annoyed.

No, actually, she was just annoyed.

"Gnaahahaha." Dr Drakken couldn't help laughing as he rifled through the documentation on Professor Chawtry's desk. "See Shego!" he gloated as he began stuffing papers into a bag. "With this research coupled with Dr Brannigan's notes, It'll be me on the podium accepting the Nobel prize for Chemistry. Muahahahaha"

Shego pulled out her nail file and propped her feet up on the assistant's desk where she had been observing the whole sorry show. In his desperate quest for peer recognition, Drakken had decided that as a serious scientist, Nobel peace prize was not an adequate honour for his genius, instead he had decided to collect the whole set.

"Oh yeah, Dr D you totally rock." Her voice deadpan with sarcasm.

Drakken was too caught up in his own ego to hear her, however.

"Honestly, the security in this place was pathetic. I hardly even needed your skills to gain access. It's almost as if they wanted someone to steal it." He gave a little laugh at that. "Well I guess I'll have to oblige."

"Yeah Yeah you're a regular cat burglar!" Shego paused in her manicure just long enough to peer closely at one of her nails before resuming her grooming. After all, she had watched the dumbass trip three infra-red alarms since they had entered the building. Shouldn't be long now before little Miss Prissy turned up to join the show.

This time, Drakken did notice the lack of enthusiasm for his exploits. He toyed with the idea of taking her to task, but thought better about it when he remembered how short her temper was becoming.

All in all, Shego was getting even more difficult to work with than ever before. The henchmen were actually volunteering to undertake any task that would take them out of the lair. Anything to put some distance between them and their volatile leader.

Drakken concentrated on making sure he had all the relevant notes, finally slinging the bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"Come on Shego, it's time we were leaving."

"Wha?" The comment took the green woman by surprise. Looking wide eyed at her boss, she couldn't quite take it all in.

"We're leaving already?" This wasn't right.

"Well of course we're leaving, I've got everything I need after all."

"But we only just got here, we can't be going yet."

"Honestly Shego, I don't know what's got into you lately. Now come on before someone comes."

"What was that?" Shego leapt to her feet, sliding the file into a stitched in holder on her belt. Sliding into a combat stance, she scanned the room looking for some sign of trouble.

"Nothing." Drakken's tone was getting impatient. "Now are you coming or not. I can hear sirens, I guess you must have tripped an alarm."

Shego was too flustered to catch that slur on her abilities or Drakken would have lived to regret the remark. She too could hear the approach of sirens, dumb cops advertising their arrival in plenty of time for everyone to get away.

She just couldn't believe that they were leaving without being interrupted. Something inside her was raging at the missed opportunity to face up to Kim again, and it was clouding her judgement.

Drakken grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door, jerking her out of her reverie. Pulling her wits together, she followed him out of the room to the escape vehicle waiting outside, but all the time one thought was running through her mind.

"Why didn't she come?"


	9. Ch 8 End of an Era

"Gnyaarrrgh"

The thin reedy shriek echoed thought the cavern, startling the blind cave crickets and the millipedes that preyed on them alike. Briefly outlined against the phosphorescent backglow was an indeterminate shadowy shape, practically invisible in the gloom. Ignoring the physical presence it was evincing, Adauchi raged at the knowledge that once more, it's careful plans were being placed in jeopardy.

It's own vulnerabilities were highlighted when it swung a shadowy arm, scattering a pile of rubble across the already littered floor, or that was the intention. Instead, the limb passed through the solid matter briefly distorting as if it were made of smoke.

Fury raged supreme in it's mind, as it realised the precarious position it was now in. With a physical presence, however tenuous, it had lost the ability to tap into the darker dimensions. The ability to animate the dead was now lost forever. Instead it gained a more powerful capability in it's control over the living, but the current subject was proving hard to control.

A strong psyche was usually preferable, as long as there was time to work on a gradual infiltration into the mind of the subject. It meant the resulting tool would be more resourceful than a weak willed puppet, but there was no longer any time to work on subtleties. Adauchi had to work with what was available, which meant that it had to accept the subject's own forceful insistance that the mortal known as Kim Possible would have to be neutralised before the Monkey Master could be destroyed.

Frustration clawed at Adauchi's mind, just as fearful doubt had begun to gnaw at it's soul. If the Monkey Master had managed to survive the test, the final prophecy would be revealed. It's own safety was now at stake and time was of the essence. Glancing over at the suspended Lotus Blade, crimson streaks now evident throughout the previously pristine azure aura, Adauchi reckoned on the process taking at least ten more days to be complete.

Reaching out with it's mind, Adauchi gave it's servant the push it had been waiting for. Time for team Possible to meet it's doom.

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Kim was not having a restful end to her college vacation. The totally unexpected panic attack she had experienced while in Bhutan had shaken her confidence. What if it should happen again?

Ever since she had heard the news reports of the death of Drakken's henchman, she had not been herself, the consequences of her actions playing constantly on her mind. Then, while climing the cliff face, she had looked down to check on Yori when suddenly her vision began to blur, and her head to spin. Clutching desperately at the rope for dear life, she had shut her eyes to block out the sudden vertigo attack, and had been unable to open them until Yori had come up to help her.

That was something else that preyed on her mind. She had never really trusted Yori, always suspicious that the young ninja had her own agenda, and would be ruthless in pursuing it. She had seen another side to the young woman that day. Compassionate and sympathetic, she had coaxed and cajoled Kim until she felt able to begin to climb once more. By positioning herself in a supporting role, Yori had given her the confidence to at least reach the top of the cliff. To cap it all, she had then given Ron a contrived excuse for her not to enter the cave when she obviously had the jitters. It was an unexpected revelation that in other circumstances would have led to deep introspection of her own motivations, as she was wont to do when others broke out of the mould in which she had placed them. This time, however, it was other thoughts that filled her mind.

The subsequent catastrophe with Rufus had driven all other considerations out of everybody's mind for a while, but once back on the plane, Kim's fears had returned, and she was having trouble dealing with them.

It was still bothering her two days after their return. Her parents were at work, while the tweebs were off on some science camp, leaving her alone in the house for hours at a time. She had just finished preparing dinner when the front door rang. Still preoccupied with her own thoughts, she absent mindedly swung the door open only to be blinded by a bright white light shining into her eyes.

Blinking away the after images burned on her retina, she flung an arm up over her eyes, only to find a microphone shoved into her face, and a woman in a sharp business suit pushed her way into the doorway.

"Kim Possible? Middleton News. I would like to talk to you about the incident at the old McKinley factory. Can I come in?"

Normally, Kim wouldn't have any problem with letting someone into her house, even when she was alone, but something about this woman's tone made her hesitate.

Seeing that she wasn't going to gain access to the young woman's house quite so easily, the reporter stopped trying to ingratiate herself and instead went for the jugular.

"Kim Possible, how does it feel to have caused an innocent man's death?"

The harsh voice stunned Kim with its accusation. In surprised shock, she couldn't think for a moment. The light was disorientating her and she was caught totally off guard. Her jaw moved wordlessly as her brain struggled to come to terms with the situation, and the reporter, seeing hesitation, pressed with her attack.

"You've courted fame for years with your vigilante exploits, what words do you have for a six year old girl who has lost her father?"

"What the hell?"

To say that she was stunned was an understatement. The nerve of this woman to accuse her of such a thing on her own doorstep. Her first instinct was to block out the blinding light that was still disorienting her. She reached out her left arm to cover the glare of the arclight, but in the confusion she felt her fingers wrap around the camera lens instead.

At the same time, she heard the voice of the reporter.

"Don't push me, the public have a right to know!"

Backing off, Kim retreated in confusion. She felt the safe confines of her own doorway on her back, and she stepped back through into her home and quickly shut the door behind her.

Leaning against the back of the door, her heart hammering and her retinas still imprinted with the bright glare of the camera light, she could just about hear the voice of the reporter outside.

"This is Angela Reed reporting from the home of Kim Possible. Back to you in the studio."

Kim closed her eyes, as she heard the reporter and her cameraman leave. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and a thin sheen of sweat prickled her brow.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as a terrible thought struck her. Tentatively she walked into the living room, picking up the remote control from the coffee table as she passed. Raising up her arm, she noticed her hand was trembling as it pointed the control at the TV. Pressing the standby button, the set clicked on, and she selected the local news channel.

"... here in the studio." The anchor woman flickered into view. "So Mrs Brinkley. Do you have anything you would like to say having seen that report?"

The camera swung onto a woman in her mid thirties, her face looked hard and unforgiving. Sitting on her lap, looking bewildered, was a young girl of about five, her eyes wide open as she tried to understand what was going on.

"Well I think she should be ashamed." the woman's voice was as hard as her appearance. "My two girls have lost a father, and all she can do is shut the door in our face!"

The remote dropped from nerveless fingers as Kim's knees gave way and she dropped onto the sofa. Her mind numb, she simply sat and watched as the woman launched into a tirade of recrimination, ending with a demand of how she was supposed to bring up two children now that the family breadwinner was gone. She was still there twenty minutes later when Ron and Yori found her, having seen the exact same report.

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Yori rubbed her eyes in weariness, the past hour having been an emotional rollercoaster. The past couple of days had introduced her to a new side of Kim Possible she had never realised existed until now. Previously, she had only seen the public persona, brash and confident, and maybe a little egotistical. Now, however, she was seeing the insecure and sensative side that only Ron and Monique had previously been aware of.

Between herself and Ron, they had managed to drag Kim away from the TV and given her cup of hot tea for the shock. Under Yori's direction, they had taken her upstairs to her room and tried to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. Yori had serious doubts about how effective they had been with that. Finally, she had left the two friends to have some together time, glad to be away from the emotional strain of bolstering up a fragile ego.

Ron was feeling pretty useless in the face of Kim's misery. Even the fate of Rufus was failing to break through the walls she seemed to be building around herself. The naked mole rat tried his best, showing off his new headgear, crawling onto her leg and even scampering up her arm to sit on her shoulder, but all she did was to scratch his head and say how sorry she was.

It took a while, but Ron finally got the message. His pet was in trouble, and Kim wasn't able to help.

"Look Ron, I'd be more of a hinderance right now. I mean, look what happened to me in Bhutan."

"Yeah. You're probably right KP." Ron's voice was subdued as he finally accepted that he was going to have to solve this problem without her help.

The two of them lapsed into an uneasy silence. Neither of them comfortable with each others company, but Ron certainly wasn't going to leave Kim on her own at a time like this.

Finally, he heard the front door open, and Mrs Dr Possible's voice, swiftly followed by Yori's answer. Scooting off the bed, Ron took the opportunity to leave. Heading for the exit, Kim's voice caused him to hesitate.

"Are we still friends Ron?" The voice was small and nervous.

"Sure KP. We'll always be friends."

Ron left the room, wondering in his heart if that from now on, that's all they were.

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Shego was restless. She had sought refuge in her quarters, anything to get away from Drakken's constant moaning about stupid periodic tables and atomic weights. Which bit of "You're a Physicist not a Chemist" didn't he understand?

She had been kept busy for the past few days, initially raiding prominent laboratories to steal research, and then various book stores and libraries to get chemistry manuals once Drakken realised he couldn't understand the professors work. OK, so maybe leaving a copy of "Chemistry for Dummies" on his desk hadn't been one of her better ideas, she thought it was funny at the time, but three hours of ranting had changed her mind.

Now, however, everything seemed to have calmed down and she risked stepping out of her room. The corridors seemed especially quiet, the henchmen were never ones for rigorous patrolling but there was usually one or two bumbling about somewhere.

Standing in the hallway, Shego finally came to a decision.

"If the mountain won't come to Mohammed..." she muttered under her breath. With a purposefulness that had been missing for many days, she turned and strode off towards the lair's vehicle bay.

It was just her luck, however, to bump into Drakken just as she cut through the main control centre. She didn't notice the coloured streamers and glittery tinsel at first, all her attention being focussed on her destination, but the sight of the blue dork in a pointy hat was enough to bring her to a grinding halt.

"Ah Shego, you're just in time for the decorating of the tree..." His voice trailed away as her piercing green eyes bored into him.

"What the hell is this? It's two weeks till Christmas."

"Yes, well... we thought we might start early this year, not having any world domination plans to complete. I thought it would do everyone good to have some fun."

Shego's gaze rested on him for a second before she just stepped around him and continued on her way. Something was driving her to get out into the fresh air, and she wasn't going to let this idiot hold her up for another minute.

"Well be back by six. They're showing Snowman Hank on cable." Drakken's voice faded into the distance as she stepped out into another corridor and let the door swing shut behind her.

"I've got people to see." she muttered to herself as she headed off towards the exit.

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Ron had found the past few days increasingly difficult. Every day he visited Kim, and each day she seemed more and more withdrawn. She obviously wasn't sleeping well, her eyes were sunken and her face drawn, but she wouldn't talk about it. In fact she barely spoke at all.

One surprising development was her acceptance of Yori in these home visits. The young ninja had insisted on accompanying Ron, but he got the feeling that this wasn't just to keep an eye on him, she seemed to have an increasing interest in Kim's wellbeing. At first Ron was pleased to see the two women getting on, but he was slowly coming to the conclusion that Kim had given up caring.

What he didn't know, was that Yori had her own reasons for trying to bring Kim back from the despair that seemed to be engulfing her. She had been getting some worrying news out of Yamanouchi sent by Makoto. The last message had had to be smuggled out encased in a bamboo tube. It appeared that the council of Elders had declared her Teki or enemy. They were even discussing whether to place a contract out on her. With the death of Sensei, the school was in danger of tearing itself apart. Factions were starting to form with teachers and students banding together in specific groups and Makoto warned that it could even erupt into violence if something wasn't done soon.

With that in mind, Yori looked to find allies anywhere she could, and Kim Possible would be a potent force in her struggle to ensure that Sensei's vision lived on after his death. Therefore, she worked with Ron to coax the redhead out of her catatonia any way she could.

It was Ron's idea to take a trip to Bueno Nacho. Looking to jolt Kim's appetite for life, an outing to their favourite restaurant would hopefully remind her of better times. It also had the added benefit of getting her out of the house. Kim had been showing worrying signs of becoming house bound and Ron figured that fresh air could only be a good thing.

To be honest, he thought Yori could do with the break too. She had been working hard with Rufus for the past few days, trying to extract the vision he had seen on the mountain. Trying to get a naked Mole Rat to explain complex concepts, however was proving an impossible task. Especially as he only had a vocabulary of about twenty words, half of which had to do with cheese. Yori was quietly being driven insane with frustration. Yeah, a break would do them all good.

The three friends decided to walk, or at least Ron did, Kim not showing any interest either way. Even her clothes showed the distracted state of her mind, seemingly picked at random rather than her usual careful selection. Only her footwear showed any signs of fashion, Ron had never seen them before but they looked expensive even to his untutored eye. Yori took her to one side, and tried to make her look more presentable. She did her best, but Kim was still far below her best when they finally left the house.

Ron carried the conversation as he normally did, the only thing missing was Kim's contribution. She trailed behind, escorted by Yori while Ron yammered on about nothing in particular. Even to his own ears, the conversation sounded forced.

"Man" he thought "Could this situation get any worse?"

"Well if it isn't the doofus and his girl wonder." The sarcastic drawl made the hairs on his neck prickle. There was something about that voice that made his skin crawl. Probably the blazing hot plasma bursts that accompanied it his mind reasoned.

"Shego?" Kim's voice quivered slightly as her head came up, and for the first time in days her gaze was raised above her own feet.

"That's right Princess, I missed you." The evil grin on the older woman's face belied the lie. "You never write, you never call. I'm beginning to think you don't want to see me any more."

Kim's head dropped once she realised what Shego was here for. Her hair flopped over her face, hiding the expiring light of hope that had flared briefly in her eyes.

Foregoing her trademark green flame, Shego slipped into a loose stance, but her planned leap into the fray was checked as the young man hurled himself between her and her target.

"B B Back off Shego, this isn't the time."

Ron's voice betrayed his nervousness, causing Shego's initial confusion to turn into frustrated amusement as she stood up, plainly not seeing any threat in the young man facing her.

"Oh please, like you're gonna do anything about it!"

A green clad arm swung out, seeking to brush aside the inconsequential youth, only to find it blocked hard by the woman who had been walking with Kim.

Initially dismissed as irrelevant, the force of the block quickly caused Shego to reassess the threat level from this new adversary. Definitely more of a problem than the Stoppable buffoon.

Switching focus from the highly relieved boy to her new enemy, Shego sought to end this confrontation quickly so as to move onto the main attraction. Not even waiting to fire up her comet powers, she launched herself into an attack on the oriental woman.

Her hands were a blur as she flicked one attack after another at her opponent, none expected to connect at first, simply trying to overwhelm any defence by pure speed.

All these thoughts were rushing through the green thief's mind in the few seconds that had passed since she had launched her attack. The intervention from Ron was brushed aside with barely a check in her own assault on Yori. Once more the young man had tried to tap the Mystical Monkey Power deep within his soul, but although he felt a flicker this time, there was nothing like the flood he had experienced at Graduation, or even the much lower levels he had grown used to in the preceding years. It was as if he were separated from his power by a viscous curtain that he could not quite penetrate.

He launched his attack anyway, but with a twist of her body, and a flick of the wrist, he was lifted off his feet and flung into a nearby wall where he hit with an audible grunt and slowly sank to the ground dizzy and concussed.

Shego knew she was leaving herself open with this move, but only for a second or two, and it would take a highly trained specialist to be able to see the opening, let alone take advantage of it. "Anyway" she thought to herself, "its just for a second. Good job there aren't any ninj..."

The counter from Yori was electric in its execution. Flicking her self into a lateral spin, first one foot then the other snapped out. The first was just to align the bodyweight, while the second powered towards the suddenly exposed ribs of the older woman whose arm had shifted slightly out of position as she threw Ron into the wall.

Only Shego's incredible reflexes saved her from a potentially crippling blow. Faster than the eye could follow, her elbow shot back, just managing to deflect the incoming strike. Both antagonists stumbled, Yori from a totally unexpected block while Shego snarled as pain shot up her arm when the other girl's foot connected with the joint in her arm.

"You are ninja!" Yori's accusing tone laced with surprise as she rolled into a defensive position.

"You too Peaches." Shego circled warily as she rubbed the pain from her elbow, all the while keeping her eyes on this unexpected adversary. "I guess there must be a lot of it going around."

Ron shook his head to clear it from the woozy sensations he was experiencing. "You were trained at Yamanouchi?" His voice incredulous as he pondered the implications if this were true.

"There are other ninja schools Stoppable San." Shego's eyebrows raised slightly at the respectful tone in the young ninja's voice although she said nothing.

"Togakure would be my guess, based on the aggressive nature of the style." Yori drew herself up to face this unexpected foe, although her bodyweight rested on the balls of her feet, ready to explode into action if required.

Shego shrugged, not really wanting to get into a deep analysis of her training techniques, and shifted once more into an agressive posture, when another feminine voice cut through the air.

"Yori, Shego stop this right now."

Yori glanced back at her new friend and nodded imperceptably. Taking a step back to allow Kim to face Shego directly. She didn't take her eyes off Shego for more than a moment, however, poised ready to intervene if the circumstances required it.

Shego's first good look at Kim did not impress her. The young teenager looked exhausted despite the makeup cleverly applied by Yori prior to them leaving the house. She could see by the bags under the eyes, and the sunken cheeks as well as the general posture that Kim was not in a good way.

The boots caught her eye, and she couldn't suppress a brief smirk at Kimmie wearing her gift, before she reminded herself that this wasn't why she was here.

"What do you want Shego?" Even Kim's voice seemed lifeless, causing a crease to appear on the green woman's brow. Kim had never been lethargic in her dealings with the thief before.

"Why you Pumpkin, what else would I be doing here?"

Shego dropped into a defensive stance, her hands flaring into green flame as she prepared for the fight she had come for. There was a muffled curse as Yori switched into combat mode, drawing her fans from a hidden pocket in her jacket, snapping them open in one well practised move.

Kim, however, didn't move. She just stood there listlessly. Shego hesitated while Yori moved up ready to fight to defend her friends. Even Ron edged his way into her peripheral vision. He had tried again to tap into the Mystical Monkey Power he had started to take for granted, but still it eluded him like it had done ever since Yori had told him about the death of Sensei and the stealing of the Lotus Blade. Still, he wasn't going to stand by while his two friends fought.

"I'm not going to fight you Shego." Kim sighed at the sight of her two friends and her most persistant enemy facing up against one another.

"Of course you are Kimmie." Shego's voice reflected the grin on her face. She was positively tingling at the thought of testing herself against an equal. "It's what we do."

"Not any more." The deadpan statement wiped the smirk of Shego's face in an instant. If there was any emotion in Kim's voice it was despair. "I don't do that any more."

Shego's jaw dropped at that bombshell. Even Ron and Yori did a double take as Kim's words registered in their mind.

"Wha..?" the older woman's brain froze as it tried to assimilate this completely unexpected turn up. "You can't." She sounded almost petulant at the thought.

"You heard me Shego. I quit."


	10. Ch 9 Choices

Christmas was not a happy time in the Drakken lair this year. Sure, everything started off well, the henchmen seemed relaxed and motivated as they decorated the cavern. Drakken hummed the Snowman Hank theme tune as he directed the layout of the streamers.

The tree gleamed in the laboratory, red and gold tinsel glittered in the dimmed lights as various packages appeared underneath as the day went on. Tiny rocking horses and plastic santas hung from the branches as well as the more traditional baubles, and the whole thing was topped by a shiny silver star.

Drakken had spent hours spraying fake snow over the control consoles, there not being much of the natural stuff in the Caribbean even at this time of year. A faint aura of hope and goodwill permeated the lair giving everyone a smile on their face and a spring in their step.

Until she returned.

The first casualty was the novelty snowman strategically placed outside the main entrance to the lair. On detecting movement nearby it began singing Frosty the Snowman in a cheery robotic voice. It didn't even reach the end of the second line before it was melted into a blackened heap of plastic.

She moved through the corridors like a black cloud of doom. Her very presence spreading gloom and misery in her wake. Woe betide the poor henchman unlucky enough to cross her path, a snarl was all they would hear before they were physically flung out of her way. One had the misfortune of having a party blower in his mouth at the time. The initial enthusiastic peep died rapidly in the face of an expression black as thunder. Backtracking rapidly, the poor lackey bumped into the corridor wall and swallowed the offending item in his haste to avoid this green force of nature.

Shego's mood was black before she entered the lair. The veneer of false cheer as she saw it just stoked the fires of her anger even higher. With a face black as thunder, she strode to her quarters and slammed the door shut behind her.

After about half an hour, a querilous voice piped up, breaking the silence that had pervaded the lair in the wake of Shego's entrance.

"Is she gone?"

Various redsuited henchmen peered out from their hiding places as they realised that the coast was clear. Eventually, Dr Drakken climbed out from under the main console, his face displaying extreme nervousness and apprehension. In his hand, he held an opened letter.

"If she's angry now what will she be like when she finds out about this?" Drakken murmured to himself, not realising that he had spoken out loud. If he could just get his sidekick out of the lair for a couple of days... ok so weeks then...

"Oh Drewbie."

The feminine voice echoed through the corridors like fingers down a blackboard. Drakken couldn't help cringing, sure that his temperamental henchwoman would hear, and take matters into her own hands. Wincing in future anticipation of Shego's volatile temper, he turned to greet his guests.

"Hello Mother, Happy Christmas."

The words uttered through clenched teeth belied the sentiment in the words.

"Oh my little Drewbie, a world hero no less. Let me look at you."

To Drakken's embarrassment, he was grabbed by the ear and pulled down to recieve a sloppy great kiss from his mother. In front of the staff no less.

Pulling himself away as adroitly as he could, Drakken flung a glare in the general direction of some sniggering he could hear, and ushered his mother towards the guest rooms, auspiciously they happened to be on the opposite side of the lair to his dangerous lieutenant's quarters.

"Yo, seriously couz, sweet setup."

The southern drawl drew Drakken's attention to the other person now standing in his central chamber. There, Six foot two inches tall, hair half way down his back and a tan that must have taken hours under a sunbed to achieve, the whole look ruined somewhat by the orange jumpsuit and the large tagging device attached to his ankle, stood Motor Ed.

"Nice outfit Eddie." Drakken couldn't help having a dig at his annoying cousin, nor could he keep the resentment out of his voice.

"What's he doing here Mother? Shouldn't he be in jail?"

"Care in the community dear." The words didn't register at first but after a few seconds they jerked Drakken out of his sulk.

"What?" He turned to look at his mother as if she were insane.

"Well, now you are a pillar of society, the criminal justice board agreed to release your cousin into your responsible care." His mother breezed around the room as she explained, running a finger along the tops of the consoles and tutting at the amount of dust she found.

"What does that woman think she's playing at, letting the place get this dirty. I'll have to have words with her if she is going to keep house for my little soldier."

Drakken's face took on a horrified mien as he realised the enormity of the situation. Not only was he now morally responsible for the good behaviour of a psychopathic moron, his mother thought he and Shego were an item, and she was going to give housekeeping tips to a woman currently off the scale in her homicidal attitude.

"Now Now mother, don't fuss." Drakken gave a hysterical giggle as he swiftly directed the pair out of the chamber and down a corridor towards their rooms. "You just settle in and I'll see you later for dinner. It's pot roast."

As soon as his annoying family were out of the way, Drakken sprinted back towards the other side of the lair with undignified haste.

"If I can just explain" he thought to himself, "maybe, just maybe she won't kill me."

The lair was quiet, however, when Drakken once more reached the more frequented areas. No muffled explosions and no screeched cursing. Could it be that Shego didn't know what was going on? Drakken knew he had to tell her sometime, but the longer he could put it off the better as far as he was concerned. Seizing this unexpected reprieve, he hurried off to the kitchen to make sure everything was going to be ready.

Shego had heard Mrs Lipsky's voice. It could penetrate six inches of solid steel when she really got going, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All her anger and sense of rejection built up since her encounter with Kim had simply drained away into a black depression. The thought of never experiencing the thrill of the competition, the frisson she got when she realised she was actually in danger of losing a fight, was not a future she wished to contemplate.

For hours she sat, her room gloomy in the little glow generated by a small desk lamp suited her mood perfectly, and she made no attempt to switch on any brighter lights.

Later, she couldn't describe what she had been thinking, it was as if time just passed by around her. After what must have been hours, she finally stood up and opened the door. Walking up towards the main control room, she could hear down a corridor towards the barracks area, the sound of music and laughter. The henchmen traditionally had a party around this time of year. Previously she had never even considered attending, but for some reason, she felt drawn towards the warmth and light.

When she reached the door, however, she hesitated. This wasn't her world. Easy cameraderie had never come easy to the raven haired woman, and she suddenly felt queasy, as if she were intruding on something personal. This was their night, and she doubted they would want her hanging around, bringing them all down with her dark moods. Silently she turned around and walked away.

Heading towards the main working areas, she saw another light coming from the lounge area. The tree was magnificent, if there was one thing Drakken took seriously it was his Christmas decorations, and this year he had done himself proud. A wide screen TV was showing Snowman Hank, a ritual Drakken insisted on every year, usually demanding that Shego watch it with him, he didn't like watching TV alone.

This year was different. On one side was Ed, criticising the fingerwork as Showman Hank played his ukelele, insisting that a metal soundtrack would make the whole show more poignant, while on the other sat his mother who seemed to be having trouble following the plot. It was a sentiment Shego could sympathise with. She had watched this stupid film at least five times and she still couldn't tell you what was going on. Of course that might have to do with the fact that she always wore her ipod during those times, but hey the thought was there.

Watching Drakken alternate between arguing with Ed and practically tearing his hair out in frustration at his mother, Shego suddenly felt very alone. Even Drakken had family at Christmas, however disfunctional and annoying they might be.

Turning away, she left the inhabited areas and headed for the exit.

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She walked through the hanger, a kitbag tossed over her shoulder. Her personal jet somewhat dwarfed by the multi-coloured aircraft she had parked next to, not that she cared. The Go Jet may be bigger, and probably better armed, but nothing was as swift or agile has her pride and joy. Surprised no-one had come up to meet her, she headed for the lift.

She realised the tower was deserted the minute she stepped out into the lounge. It wasn't just the silence and the darkness, there was the aura of emptiness that buildings get after a couple of days. There was no sign of a struggle so she assumed nothing bad had happened, after all her brothers could certainly take care of themselves. At least the eldest two could, she wasn't quite ready to believe that the twins had grown up enough yet, but she reckoned Hego and Mego could look after them.

No, this was something else. It was the festive season and they had other places to be. Everyone had somewhere else to be, except her. Feeling pretty sorry for herself, she flung herself down on the couch and stared into the darkness. Hunger roused her eventually. Entering the kitchen, she prepared a light snack and settled down in front of the TV.

Shego normally enjoyed being solitary at this time of year. The whole Christmas thing was usually something she preferred to avoid, but that was when she was the one making the choice. This year was different. Maybe because everyone else around her seemed to have someone to be with or somewhere to go, she felt a little left out. Flicking through the channels, she decided that there was nothing she wanted to watch and went to bed.

The next day promised more of the same. When she got up, Shego made herself a light breakfast and settled down in the kitchen to eat it. Sprawled in a chair, her feet resting on the table, she nearly tipped the cereal into her lap at the unexpected sound of the phone.

Shego surprised herself with the alacrity which she answered the phone, but wasn't as surprised as Mego who had only called to check for messages.

"Sis? What the hell are you doing there?"

"Just chillin'." Her tone came across a little too flippant for Mego's taste. Before he could pick her up on it, however, his sister's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Where is everybody? I thought the righteous never slept. Isn't virtue ever watchful for the evil deeds of the malcontent?"

"Oh God, you remember that? Jeez he was a pompous prick." Mego couldn't help laughing as he remembered Hego's posturing to the TV cameras when Team Go first started. Not to be diverted, however, he quickly returned to his original concern.

"You OK sis?"

A sudden jolt of emotion struck Shego leaving her unable to answer for a moment. The obvious concern in her younger brother's voice broke through years of antagonism and conflict, reminding her of simpler times.

"Yeah, sure." She finally managed to get her vocal chords back under control. "Where is everybody anyway?"

"Well I'm in Venice, always wanted to see it before it sank. Hego is somewhere in Laos, and the twins are spending Christmas with their girlfriends, so I guess you got the tower to yourself for the next couple of weeks."

"Good, I could do with some peace and quiet." Shego was starting to feel more herself again, the previous empathy she had felt with her sibling was starting to dissipate, and her voice took on it's more usual snarky tone.

"I'm surprised you could get anyone to take the Wegos off your hands, they were a handful five years ago, I bet they haven't got any easier..." Her voice tailed off as a horrible thought suddenly occurred to her.

"This family they're spending time with. They do know who they are right? They don't think they're just ordinary teenagers."

"Wellll..." Mego's hesitation told her all she needed to know.

Shego ran her hand over her brow, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to assimilate this new information, until she remembered that it wasn't her problem to deal with any more.

"Fine, whatever. You enjoy your holiday, just don't expect me to deal with any business that might come up while you are all away. This town could burn to the ground for all I care."

Mego heard the click as the receiver at the other end of the line was put back in its cradle. Slowly he replaced his own handset and sat there for a while running through the conversation in his mind. Eventually, he picked up a mobile off the bedside table, and selected a number from the stored list. The phone rang for a few moments before he heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"Hego, its me. We need to talk."

The phonecall had left Shego in a much cheerier mood, although she wouldn't admit it even to herself. She finished her breakfast and settled down to a morning of black and white movies revelling in the familiar comfort of solitude. It was a mood that lasted until lunch when she switched over to the news channel.

The story that Kim Possible was no longer in the hero business took a couple of days to be picked up by the major news networks, but once it was out, it generated wall to wall coverage across the world.

Shego's face was grim as she flicked through the channels, talking heads speculating about the reasons for her taking such drastic action, and forecasting what effect this would have on the world's law enforcement agencies at a time when their resources were stretched to maximum dealing with the fallout from the alien invasion.

In true media fashion, however, speculation on Kim's motivations far outweighed any serious discussion on the repercussions. It let airheads peddle their own pseudo psychological theories on public television, reinforcing their own bloated opinions about their own importance. "Kim was in love with Ron", "Kim was in love with her university quarterback", "Kim was in love with Drakken", "wait ... what? never mind." Shego's brain finally registered the source of the last supposition and dismissed it. Even with the serious channels, however, each theory seemed too ridiculous to explain the path Kim had taken.

It was only when she caught the tail end of the Middleton news broadcast, and saw a re-run of the interview with "Mrs Brinkley" that the penny dropped.

"Damn."

Quickly bundling her possessions into a carry-all, she headed for the hanger.

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Christmas wasn't celebrated in the Stoppable household, but this year there wasn't much Hannukah spirit either. Ron's parents had finally bowed to the inevitable and had left two days ago, heading east to stay with family until it was safe to return.

It was one less worry for Yori, getting Hannah to safety meant she only had to worry about the security of one Stoppable even if he wasn't too keen on her company at the moment. "Honestly, he is so stubborn sometimes." The thought passed through her head as she watched him surrepticiously as he sat watching TV.

The tension had been building between them since the trip to Bhutan. Ron was only concerned with removing the circlet from his pet's head and considered Yori's obsession with finding out what vision Rufus had seen was insensative and callous.

What Ron didn't know was that Yori had desperately been searching day and night for a way to remove the headband, but everything in the books stated that nothing could remove the circlet. When he went to bed, she had been poring over the ancient scripts, searching frantically for the answer to her questions, but to no avail. She was stuck with a bald rodent whose head contained the information she needed to avenge her mentor, and although she concealed it well, the pressure was starting to take its toll.

The young man studiously ignored her once more, absent mindedly playing with Rufus as he gazed at the screen, watching some old film.

"I've tried Ron." Yori thought to herself as she watched the two of them. "Nothing can remove the headpiece. Rufus is stuck with it until he di..."

Her head jerked sideways suddenly focusing on the small pink animal currently reclining on its masters chest. Her eyes narrowed as the thought grew inside her mind.

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It was night by the time Shego landed in a secluded airstrip a few miles outside Littleton. She taxied her plane into a reserved hangar, and a few minutes later emerged mounted on a Yamaha XJ6, custom sprayed in her trademark black and green.

Her outfit matched the paintwork, with the colours of her catsuit blending into the bike to make it look like woman and machine merged into some kind of strange mechanical centaur. The whole ensemble was topped by a green helmet with black flashes and a tinted visor, her hair whipping in the wind as it hung down her back.

She cruised through the compound until she reached the gate opening onto an empty single lane highway. Swinging out onto the road, she suddenly opened up the throttle and sped off into the twilight, heading for Middleton.

Three quarters of an hour later, she sat watching the Possible house over in the distance, her engine idling as she pondered on what to do next. Having steeled herself up to what she was about to do, she rolled the machine behind some bushes by the side of the road, and removed her helmet. From her vantage point, about 100 metres from the house, she rested herself on a convenient boulder and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark.

It didn't take long, but Shego still waited, watching the lights in the house go out as the family went to bed, and waiting still further to give everyone time to go to sleep. This was to be a covert operation and she didn't want any complications.

As the time ticked past midnight, the thief finally made her move. On her back she wore a small backpack, barely large enough to hold a few special items, and certainly not enough of an encumbrance to impede her stealthy approach. As she approached the road, she stopped on the opposite side and pulled out a pair of night vision goggles from her pack.

The Possible house was well secluded from their neighbours, Dr Possible had taken into account the destructive tendancies of his younger children when building his home, and the constant explosions and craters in the surrounding area were enough to put off any would-be developers. Nevertheless, Shego carried out an extensive surveillance of the surrounding area before being satisfied that there was no-one else in the vacinity.

Slipping on her goggles, she scanned the area around the house, nodding to herself when nothing untoward could be seen. Reaching up with her right hand, she twiddled a couple of dials and pressed a tiny stud in the side twice, adjusting the vision to check the ultraviolet spectrum. Smiling to herself at the complex array of beams suddenly revealed confirmed what she had thought.

"Not bad Nerdlinger, not bad." she muttered, understanding that only Kim's pet computer whizzkid could have come up with such a comprehensive early warning system. Tripping any one of the beams could sound an alarm, alerting the Possible household to an intruder. It wasn't just professional courtesy that kept the various Master criminals from attacking their enemy while she slept.

As far as Shego could tell, the whole approach to the house was covered. It was obviously a sophisticated system, with recognition software to prevent false alarms. Indeed, even as she watched, a racoon scampered its way across the lawn, without triggering an alert, but the thief had no doubts that her own approach would not be as easy.

Even as she worked out a route in her head, however, her senses were tingling. On a hunch, she adjusted the goggles settings once more and grinned as she saw a completely separate grid of beams take shape. The original alarm system was now invisible, but what she was seeing now was an ultrasonic protection system designed to work as a backup.

Flicking through a few more spectrums revealed nothing, until she tried microwaves. Curiously that revealed a single beam emitting from a point near the road, hidden by some small shrubs planted in a flowerbed.

"Probably Global Justice keeping an eye on her." Shego dismissed the anomaly as irrelevant, her own route wouldn't take her anywhere near it.

Switching back to infra-red, she once more scanned the area, looking for lifesigns. Seeing none, she finally switched back to the Ultraviolet and slipped across the road.

The sonic defence system was easily disabled, its usefulness being in the unlikelyhood that anyone would think to check having found the main system. Pulling another small device from her pack, she powered it up and two oscillating lines appeared on the tiny LCD. One represented the frequency of the alarm system, the other was the suppressor wave generated by the device. Shego turned a small knob until the two sine waves were in perfect opposition to each other.

The light sensor beams would take more sophisticated methods to neutralise. Taking another item from her extensive thieves toolkit, she buckled around her waist a bulky waistband. Once more she powered up the device and felt the hairs on her arms prickle as the powerful electromagnetic field enveloped her. Steeling her nerves, she stepped across the invisible border separating the Possible household with the rest of the world.

Down in the basement, the computer system controlling the alarm system monitored every photon emitted by its sensors. Each was tagged leaving the emitter and registered when it reached the corresponding sensor. Casually slipping through this impenetrable grid, Shego was unaware of the finer points of quantum tunnelling allowing her to escape detection. Drakken had launched into one of his long-winded explanations of his own brilliance, but the dark haired thief hadn't listened. It worked was all she worried about, and when it stopped working she would pummel him until he fixed it.

Once the wall of the house was reached, it was an easy task to scale the garage and slip onto the flat roof. It was then just a case of climbing the sloping section and swinging out to step onto Kimmie's window sill.

As she went to do so, however, she was alerted by a muffled shriek coming from the room. A scream so loud that even the double glazing couldn't completely stifle it.

Shego adjusted her position so that she could look through the window, trusting to the dark outside to hide her from view. This was helped by the light in the room suddenly coming on. Shego watched as Mrs Dr Possible rushed into the room to comfort her obviously distressed child.

Neither Mother or daughter looked well as far as Shego could make out, both looked as if they needed to catch up on their sleep. Anne Possible sat with her daughter for as long as she could, holding her as Kim wept in her arms. Eventually exhausted, Kim lay back in her bed, and let her mother cover her over with the duvet.

Anne switched off the light and stood watching for a while as Kim went to sleep. She had offered Kim a place in her bed which had been rejected, she could be so stubborn sometimes, and hoped that this time they might get a few hours rest.

Shego watched from the window as Kim's mother slipped back down the trapdoor, obviously in some dire need of sleep herself. She waited another thirty minutes or so to let everyone fall asleep before slipping onto the window ledge.

Instinct made Shego check for alarms without even thinking, finding both the obvious standard house alarm system which she disabled in seconds, and also the much better electrostatic system build directly into the windowframe. A small battery-powered magnet placed near the sensor took care of that, leaving only a plate of glass and a window catch between her and her target.

The window opened silently, not needing the oilcan Shego had brought, and she slipped into the room as silent as a moonbeam flitting across the floor. In the gloom, she could see the bed against one wall, and the trapdoor leading down to the rest of the house. The lump under the bedclothes didn't stir as she crept over to the other side of the room.

There on a desk was a diary. Shego had seen it as soon as she entered the room and figured it would give her some idea as to the state of Kim's psyche. The girl seemed the type to bare her soul in a book.

The book fell open naturally at a certain page, and something fluttered down onto the floor. Picking it up Shego felt a thin strip of stiff card of some sort, obviously a bookmark. Placing it down on the desk, she bent over the book and cupped one hand over the page. A delicate application of comet power caused a dim green glow to shine in her palm. With enough light to see, she began to read.

June 17th

This has got to have been 1 of the greatest days of my life. A morning shopping at Club Banana, extensive beauty treatment and the afternoon watching The Memopad. Ever since Shego turned good, its been like having a big sister. Sure Ron was freaked, but it felt so good acting like a proper girl for once.

"Wow Kimmie, that's like so pathetic." The thought flashed through Shego's mind but it didn't have the malice it would have done a year ago. Secretly she understood the desire to live a normal life, something she hadn't had the luxury of ever since the comet.

Reaching out to replace the bookmark, her hand froze when she realised what it really was. There, lying on the desk was a strip of four photos taken from a mall photo-booth. Shego's hand trembled slightly as she remembered the feeling of closeness she had felt that day, The faces of Kim Possible and a peaceful looking Shego stared back at her, their joyous smiles mocking her own cynical heart.

She stood for a moment remembering her own copy, now ash on a long abandoned lair floor, and the impulsive reaction to Drakken's sudden appearance which had caused her to destroy it. It was a moment she had regretted ever since. Carefully replacing the strip back in its place, she turned her attention to the diary once more.

Flipping through the pages, she stopped at an obviously tearstained page.

"This is more like it." Shego leaned over the book and began to read.

December 19th

I don't believe it, somebody died? What do I do?

I saw that little girl on the TV, and she has lost her father because of me.

Has this happened before? I never even considered the possibility, Ron and I must have destroyed 50 lairs, and nothing like this has ever happened before.

I even nearly got my brothers killed last night as well. It wasn't Shego's fault, her reflexes saved them, but I put them in harms way What kind of sister am I?

I don't know what to do. Shego left, I really need to talk to her, explain somehow. Tim's OK, just some slightly burned hair. The guilt is killing me.

December 22nd

Went on a trip to Bhutan with Ron and Yori. Didn't go well. I froze, vertigo or something, it took Yori to get me to the top of that mountain, not that Ron noticed of course. It really shook me up.

Surprised at Yori though. She can be a real bitch when she wants to be, but she has a softer side too.

and OMG what happened to Rufus? He's got some funky gold ring on his head that we can't get off, and he was rigid when they brought him out of that cave. Yori seems to think that he had some kind of vision but can't get Rufus to explain what he saw. Not surprising really he's a mole rat.

Can't get the feeling that Yori intended Ron to wear that ring though. Some MMP thing apparently. Nah, still think she's a bitch.

There were no further entries, even though several days had passed. Shego reckoned that if Kim couldn't even unburden herself to her diary, then things were really bad.

A stifled moan dragged her attention back to the room and its occupant. The figure under the bedclothes was tossing and turning with increasing vigour.

"NO!" The moan was louder this time, and Shego hesitated wondering whether to flee or intervene.

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_The wind was fierce as Kim clung onto the rope in desperation. Her initial anger had faded as her predicament became clear, she was hundreds of feet in the air, and just above her was the leering face of her arch enemy._

_Kim blinked. An arm was reaching out to grab her. Mustering all her energy, she flung a hand out and felt fingers wrap around her wrist. Breathing a sigh of relief, she glanced down at the rapidly disappearing ground, shuddering at the long drop, she turned her head back to face her rescuer._

_A rotting corpse looked back at her, the fingers around her wrist were skeletal with the bones scratching deep gouges in her skin. Its mouth moved, the voice echoing with a deep sepulchural tone._

_"Why should you be saved? You killed me."_

_Squeezing her eyes shut, Kim opened them again to be faced with the sad face of the little girl she had seen on TV._

_"Where's Daddy? What have you done to him?"_

_"No." Kim's moan was muted as the face in front of her changed once more to that of a gloating Shego._

_"Can you fly Kimmie? I thought you could do anything!"_

_Kim's other arm desperately scrabbled at the rope she was holding as she felt the green thief's fingers loosen their grip._

_"NO SHEGO" she screamed._

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"NO"

This time the moan was louder, jerking Shego out of her paralysis. One step took her to the bedside where Kim lay. The young girl was thrashing about now, her arms stretched out even though she was still asleep.

"Don't let go" Kim's voice was increasing in volume as her struggling became even more frenzied. Without thinking, Shego grabbed the flailing arms in a tight grip. Her only thought was to prevent the whole family waking up and bursting in on them. The last thing she wanted to do is have to face Kimmie's mother after nearly killing her son.

"Its OK Pumpkin, I've got you." The words slipped out without her even thinking about them, but the effect was instantaneous.

The thrashing stopped immediately. The stretched out arms, now supported by the older woman's grip, lost their maniacal strength. Slowly, Shego moved them back down to Kim's side, but when she went to let go she was grabbed, the arm pulled in tight to the younger girl's body.

Shego stood there for a while, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do now. The young girl was curled up gripping her arm as if she would never let go.

"Great. Now what." Shego muttered under her breath.

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Anne Possible jerked awake her subconscious mind realising that something was wrong. Briefly disorientated, she barely registered her husband still asleep by her side, or the fact that it was still dark outside.

Eventually, she shook the last shreds of sleep from her mind and the glowing digits of the alarm clock by her bed finally came into focus. 06:30, she had had nearly six hours of uninterrupted sleep. A luxury she had not had for the past three days. Slipping out from under the covers, careful not to wake her husband who was probably as tired as she was, she threw a dressing gown over her shoulders and left the room.

The whole house was quiet as the entire Possible family was suffering from severe sleep deprevation. Her feet made little noise on the hard floor of the landing as she headed for the steps leading to the attic bedroom. As quietly as she could, she climbed the stairs leading to the trapdoor into her daughter's room. At the top, she hesitated for a while, reluctant to disturb the teenager's rest, but eventually her need for reassurance overcame her uncertainty, and she pushed up the wooden cover enough to poke her head into the room above. It took several moments for her eyes to adjust to the gloom, until the misshapen lump lying on the bed resolved itself into that of her daughter. Looking back at her was the steady green-eyed gaze of Shego.

The two women looked at each other for a while. Anne could see Kim curled up soundly asleep, with her head resting in the lap of the thief. What she couldn't see was the grip her child still held onto the older woman's arm, clutching it to her body like a comfort blanket. Without a word, Anne Possible lowered the hatch once more, creeping back down the stairs as silently as she could, and headed for the kitchen.

It was five or ten minutes before Shego entered the room, it had taken that long to get Kim to relinquish her grip without waking her. She wordlessly accepted a hot cup of coffee that was passed over the kitchen table, and slipped onto a barstool gratefully taking a sip of the beverage.

"So how long has she been like that?" The thief's voice was low as if reluctant to wake any more of the Possible household.

"About three days." Dr Possible's reply expressed the deep sense of tiredness and concern clearly evident on her drawn face.

"You know things are going to get even worse, don't you." Shego's voice was intense as she fixed Mrs Possible with a hard stare. "Especially now the press are involved."

Anne's face fell as she finally relinquished the iron control she had been holding back all her concerns. Her composure cracked and she dropped her face into her cupped hands and her shoulders shook. Shego looked on clearly embarrassed at this display of vulnerability, but Dr Possible quickly wrestled her emotions back under control. When she finally lifted her head and met Shego's gaze, only her eyes betrayed her sense of helplessness.

"I've tried talking to her, but she won't open up to either myself or James." Anne's voice trembled slightly as she struggled to keep her feelings under control. "Ron's normally there for her but things aren't right between the two of them, and all the professional help is swamped with the aftermath of the invasion. I just don't know what to do."

"What about Global Justice?" Shego couldn't believe that they would leave their young protege to suffer like this. "I'm pretty sure Betty could pull some strings and get her the help she needs."

Kim's mother spat out a brief "HA!" at the mention of the law enforcement agency. "I have been reliably informed that Kim is considered to be an emotional liability, and as such the UN cannot divert much needed resources to an uneconomic cause." The bitterness in her voice spoke volumes of what she thought about that decision.

Shego thought back to the microwave transmitter she had noted on the way in. Obviously Betty was running some kind of psychological test on Kimmie. That was one hard bitch. Deep down inside, a small worm of guilt was burrowing in her gut. All this had come about because of her selfishness. Unaccustomed to such feelings, Shego definitely didn't like it.

Anne Possible was looking at her with despair in her eyes. Shego shifted uncomfortably as she read the desperation in the older woman's gaze, pleading for someone, anyone, to come up with an answer to the pain her daughter was suffering.

"What do you expect me to do about it?" The question flitted unspoken through her mind as she tried to suppress her own guilt, but already she knew the answer. With a deep sigh, she pulled down a magnetic notepad from the fridge door and scribbled an address onto the uppermost sheet.

"11 O'clock sharp, I need the time to organise some things. Don't wait too long to leave, it'll take some time for the press to really get into gear, but they'll be camped out on your front lawn before you know it."

Shego winced at the pathetic look of gratitude the older woman was giving her. Leaving the half drunk cup of coffee on the table, Shego walked out of the room. At the doorway she stopped and turned.

"I can't promise anything." her voice emotionless as she fought down her own doubts about what she was doing.

"I Know, I'm just grateful you're trying." Anne Possible's thankful smile did nothing to make Shego more comfortable. Without a word, the thief turned and left the room.

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Yori flipped the book shut with an exhausted sigh and arched her back to relieve the strain of two hours sitting hunched over a desk. A gap in the curtains showed her that it would be light soon, they had been going through the prophecies all night. At least she had.

Looking over to the shock of blond hair resting on the book he was supposed to read, Yori pursed her lips in disapproval at Ron's lack of stamina. He was the one insisting that there must be a way to remove the band from Rufus' head, but he couldn't even last a single night researching, while she worked fifteen hours straight investigating something she knew had no answer. Except one.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the young man sleeping. When she had first met him, his idiosyncracies had seemed endearing, and even cute. His big heart and cheerful acceptance of his position in life had been attactive, but that was then, when Master Sensei was alive and everything seemed much simpler and carefree. Now she was alone, her father figure gone, and of the three members of the team she had brought from Yamanouchi, two were dead. Everything she had lived for was crumbling around her and this fool was more concerned about his stupid pet.

Right on cue, as if summonsed by her thoughts, there was a disturbance in the lining of the supine young man's trouser pocket, and a pink hairless head poked its way out into the pre dawn air. Eyes drooping and whiskers dishevelled, the rodent in question clambered out of Ron's pocked and blinked in the dim light of the reading lamp illuminating the table strewn with books. Not bothering to stifle a yawn, Rufus casually scratched the skin around his midriff and sniffed the air to see if there were any signs of breakfast forthcoming.

Failing to detect any signs of food, he looked around to see if anyone was around who could be persuaded to feed him. Catching sight of Yori, he beamed a toothy grin. Rufus was starting to really like the young asian woman. Not only was she almost as free with her gifts of food as Kim, the pheromones he scented between her and her master seemed more balanced than those with the other woman in Ron's life.

Sure, Rufus liked Kim, he had known her all his life and she was especially generous with sharing her Bueno Nacho, but the scents he had picked up from her had never really changed from when she and Ron were friends in kindergarten. Whereas his master's feelings had changed over the years, Rufus had never sensed a similar development in her.

With Yori, the attaction had been there from the start, and if Rufus was any judge of character, the feelings were mutual. Sure, she was down at the moment, his simple Molerat brain could understand the feelings of loss she must be feeling at this time, but he was sure that given time, their feelings for each other would blossom into something wonderful.

Yori couldn't take her eyes off the ring of gold around his head. The answers to all her questions were trapped inside a rodent's head with no hope of them being revealed while it lived. Closing her eyes as she steeled herself to the task that needed to be done, Yori took a deep breath and, opening her eyes smiled at the unsuspecting rat.

"Come here Rufus." Yori's voice was carefree and light, causing the naked mole rat to look in her direction. Seeing his new friend holding her hand out, he shrugged and dropped down to the ground.

Yori watched as the trusting animal bounded its way across the floor. She squatted down to be nearer his level, her left hand stretched out for him to leap on to, while her right surrepticiously ran her fingers over a certain section of her belt buckle. Pulling out a small needle, its discoloured point hidden in the shadow of the table, she waited for the creature to seal its own fate.

"Come on Rufus, I've got a treat for you."


	11. Ch 10 The Capricious Hand of Fate

The unearthly shriek woke him with a start, his head jerking up from the book it was resting on, looking around bleary eyed as he tried to locate the source of the sound. Across the room, some two feet away from an obviously shaken Yori, lay Rufus, rolling around in agony and squealing in distress.

"What happened?" he glanced at Yori as he rushed over to scoop up the distressed animal in his hands, not registering her own shocked look as he focussed all his attention on his stricken pet.

Yori didn't speak. She just blinked, frozen in shock staring at the scene before her, the tormented rat cradled in the hands of its distraught owner. Finally gaining control of her voice, she gave a belated reply to the young man's accusation.

"Nuh... Nothing, he just collapsed." She couldn't meet his eye, but Ron didn't notice, he was more concerned with his friend. Overcome with the pain, the mole rat stiffened, his mouth open in a silent scream. His little eyes shot open, but there was no recognition in his gaze. His back arched, then he gave a final shudder and collapsed, his still form suddenly limp and lifeless.

"Rufus?" Ron's voice was subdued, his voice tremulous with worry at the sorry state of his pet. "Rufus buddy, speak to me!" Turning, he rushed out of the room towards the kitchen

Yori watched him carry the comatose rodent out of the study, unable to even move as she tried to assimilate what was going on. Once alone, her legs just seemed to give way and she collapsed into the seat behind her, the rigid self control she had been exerting for the past week, shattered with the unexpected turn of events. She went to drop her head into her hands when she realised that she was still clutching the poisoned needle. Carefully, she went to replace it in its concealed recess, but her hand was shaking so much, she had to grip her wrist with the other hand before she could sheathe it safely.

Leveraging herself out of the chair, she shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog that was engulfing her mind. Blinking furiously, she tried to concentrate through the cloud of exhaustion that was finally catching up with her. She headed off towards the door, her hand catching the frame as she stumbled against the wall.

Her head was spinning as she entered the kitchen, to see Ron bent over the work surface, syringing water into the slack jaws of the naked mole rat.

"Come on buddy, you can beat this thing." he muttered to himself as he finally managed to get a few drops down the small throat. Yori watched uncomprehending as he tried to get the paralysed figure to swallow.

"I..Is he OK?" she managed to query, causing Ron to glance over his shoulder, briefly distracted from his ministrations.

"He's tough, he'll be alright." Ron's voice sounded more desperate than confident, hoping against hope that his friend would recover. Looking back over his shoulder at her, he was struck by the unhealthy pallor of her face.

To his eyes, she seemed clumsy, a complete contrast to her normal graceful self. Her eyes were sunken and dull and her shoulders were slumped as she staggered slightly until she managed to catch herself against the counter.

Her head lolled briefly until, with a conscious effort, she managed to lift it once more to look in his direction, but her gaze was unfocussed.

"Yooorrrri" his voice was distorted, causing her to look at him with incomprehension. She could see his mouth opening but couldn't hear any sound. The room began to spin, and she raised a hand to her forehead in an effort to stop the sudden feeling of vertigo. She briefly registered a shadow looming over her before the room went black.

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The first TV camera crew arrived shortly before dawn, the scent of a celebrity scandal drawing the press despite it being Christmas Eve. Anne watched them through the kitchen blinds as first one van pulled up outside her house, swiftly followed by two others. She looked on for a few minutes as they began to set up their equipment, then pulled the blinds shut with a snap and headed towards the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she was showered and dressed, and feeling much more able to face the situation that appeared to be rapidly spiralling out of control. Wanting to leave her children in blissful ignorance for a few more precious minutes, she woke her husband and briefly explained the situation to him.

Disbelief was swiftly followed by outrage that his family should be harassed in such a way. Days spent in denial about the real difficulties his daughter was going through were swept aside as he grasped at the opportunity suddenly made available to her. Once he had calmed down and stopped ranting about going out there and chasing the press vultures away, he put his mind to figuring out how they were going to get Kim out of the house without subjecting her to the gauntlet she would have to run as soon as she left the safety of the building.

Anne left Kim to sleep, anything to let her catch up on the hours missed over the past few days. Instead she roused the twins, knowing that they would relish the task she had allocated to them. She had just finished outlining the plan when a subdued voice attracted her attention to the doorway. There, still clad in her pyjamas, with eyes sunken through lack of sleep stood Kim. She looked a state, but her demeanour was more alert than it had been in a while.

"What's going on?"

Outside, the bustle of activity was never ending. Aware that even in these circumstances, banging on the door demanding interviews at this early hour would be unacceptable, the reporters had to content themselves with outside shots of the house, and incessant background information about Kim's past triumphs and current difficulties.

Eventually one brave soul did venture up to the front door, but despite knocking for several minutes, the blinds remained drawn and no sign of life could be seen.

The camera crews were getting edgy, there was only so long they could focus on bedroom windows where the curtains were drawn. Other crews waited, mounted on motorbikes they were poised, ready in case the family tried to leave. Freelance photographers, desperate for that definitive picture that would grace the front page of every newspaper across the country, even the world, were poised to catch the smallest hint of a shot. All watched and waited, while the light increased as the sun finally rose above the horizon.

Eventually, some movement could be seen in the house. The garage door opened and two young boys marched out, carrying a tall rocket between them. Not sure what was happening, the reporters watched wordlessly as the twins placed the rocket in the middle of the front lawn and began to attach wires to its base.

Gingerly, one journalist approached the two lads. One of them watched his approach warily, while the other concentrated on finishing connecting the wires to the projectile.

"Err boys, do you mind if we have a word?" For some reason the reporter felt nervous as he approached the two children. There was something about their demeanour that radiated hostility.

"Yeah, we do." The young voice dripped contempt as he dismissed the intruder. As his twin finished the wiring and picked himself up, the speaker turned away, and picking up the spool of wire that had been lying on the ground, proceeded to walk backwards, away from the rocket towards a low stone wall perhaps twenty metres away, letting the wire deploy as he went.

Jim briefly brushed himself down, then looked up at the reporter with an evil smile on his face.

"You might want to give us some room; we haven't tested this mix yet." Turning, he jogged over to the wall, where his brother was attaching the other end of the wire to a stereotypical detonator plunger box.

The young journalist had an uneasy feeling as he watched the two boys finish up their wiring. The malicious look on their faces made him doubt his original assessment that there was nothing to worry about. Gradually, he became aware of various scorch marks on the grass, and the odd crater that had up to now been hidden in the uneven ground in front of the house.

Mesmerised, his eyes were drawn first to the two foot tall rocket now standing merely three feet from his current position and then, following the trail of wire leading to the low wall, fixed on the detonator, its plunger handle now raised and ready to fire.

"Five... Four..." The young man started to run on the first count, scrambling to get as much distance between himself and the rocket as was possible.

The twins grinned at each other as they watched the young man run for cover, and even the other members of the media edged back as the countdown continued

"Three... Two and a half... One.."

As soon as he decided that the scumbag was at a safe distance, Tim threw all his weight down on the plunger, causing the assembled media to involuntarily take a step back.

Nothing happened. A second passed before one of the technicians gave a short laugh, just as the rocket exploded. Cellulous shrapnel peppered the crowd. From inside the fake rocket, various fireworks began to explode, star shells and roman candles firing fairly harmless flares into the air, scattering the crews as they attempted to save themselves from the pyrotechnics that erupted among them.

As the confusion was at its worst, a small purple car shot out from the now open garage. The engine roared as it darted for a gap between the various broadcasting vans, swerving to avoid a shell-shocked sound man and careering down the road at an ever accelerating rate.

Not to be outdone, some of the more mobile paparazzi headed off in a desperate pursuit. If they could get a picture of Kim Possible fleeing the scene, their fortune would be made. As soon as the rest of the media realised what was happening, they too rushed to their vehicles and began to peel off, chasing their quarry in the never ending search for the next big story, leaving only a few technicians to gather up the bulky equipment that had been left behind.

After a few minutes, the front door opened. Stepping out, Anne Possible squared her shoulders and marched out towards the battered old estate car parked around the side of the house. Even dressed in her white doctor's coat, she felt exposed as the various crew members watched her progress.

"Do you mind gentlemen?" Her voice was icy with distain as she opened the driver's door. "I have an eleven O'clock surgery, and I don't want to have to explain to the family of my patient that he died because his Surgeon was trapped in her own drive."

Sheepishly, the offending party hurriedly moved his lighting rig, unable to meet her eyes. Slipping into the driver's seat, Anne slowly pulled out onto the road and headed off towards Middleton town centre.

After a mile or so, Kim slipped out from under the old blanket covering the back seat and foot well, and clambered into the front seat beside her mother.

"Okay, now do you want to tell me what is going on?"

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Shego looked out over the airfield as the crew behind her rushed to get the aircraft prepped for takeoff. She hated to admit it but when Jack Hench promised, he delivered in spades. He ought to for the prices he was charging. Still, even she was surprised at the plane now sitting on the runway.

The dust cloud of the approaching vehicle warned her of its approach long before the sound of its engine could be heard. Pulling the featureless flight helmet over her head, she turned and climbed up into the cockpit.

Kim stared disinterestedly out of the window, barely noticing when her mother turned off the road and pulled into a private airfield, but even she couldn't help but react when she saw what was parked on the runway.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

As the car pulled to a stop, she flung open the passenger door and got out to take a closer look. There in front of her, stood a grey, obviously military aircraft, the RAF roundels prominent on the wings and fuselage, and the weapons pods heavily loaded with missiles. Even her mother didn't look too sure as she too got out of the car, carrying a small duffel bag.

"There's no way I'm getting in that." Kim shook her head and took a step backwards. A steadying hand on her shoulder caused her to stop, and she turned to find herself face to face with her mother. Their eyes met for a while, one set pleading while the other looked concerned, until Kim broke the gaze with a sigh.

"OK... OK" she took the bag from her mother and reluctantly headed over to where one of the ground crew was franticly beckoning. She climbed into the seat behind the pilot, secured her bag beneath the seat and began strapping herself in as the canopy lowered itself over the cockpit.

Anne looked on in trepidation as the powerful engines burst into life, and with a wave, the pilot began to taxi the plane towards the end of the runway.

Kim struggled with her helmet for a second, but finally managed to fit it on over her hair, and connected up the radio mike.

"Glad you made it Kimmie." the familiar voice recognisable despite the electronic distortion from the radio.

"Shego. What exactly are you intending to achieve with this stunt?"

Shego instantly took umbrage with the younger girl's dismissive tone.

"Well pardon me for trying to diffuse the media shitstorm about to hit your family Princess!" The last word practically spat out as she was overcome with anger at the ingratitude.

"I can handle it." came the sulky reply

"Really." the sneer expressed the contempt felt for that remark. "And what about your brothers, you think they could handle it too?"

"What are you talking about?" Kim sounded confused now, but Shego hadn't finished.

"You want to see them hounded from dawn to dusk, just to get some juicy gossip about your life? You want your parents relationship scrutinised just to speculate about why you act the way you do?"

"Of course not..." Shego ignored Kim's plaintive interruption, she hadn't finished yet.

"Your friends interrogated to find anything, however tenuous to suggest that your past life has been a sham. Believe me Kimmie, that's not something you would wish on your worst enemy."

Kim was silent for a while as she digested the tirade she had just been subjected to, while Shego seethed as she slowly directed the jet towards the end of the runway.

"And you think stealing a fighter jet and spiriting me away to who knows where is the answer?" Even to Kim's ears this sounded petulant and petty.

Shego was only slightly mollified as she accepted the concession. "Oh don't worry Kimmie, I didn't steal it, I hired it from Hench."

"Oh." Kim was now totally confounded. She felt ashamed as she realised she had been tearing into someone who was only trying to help her and her family, someone, more to the point who had just recently saved her life at considerable danger to their own.

"Oh God, Shego, look I'm sorry OK?"

The genuine remorse in Kim's voice finally smoothed Shego's ruffled feathers. As she pushed the throttle forward and the two women were pushed back into their seats as the G-Force increased, she couldn't resist having the final word.

"That's OK." she grinned. "After all, Hench stole it. We're just borrowing it for a while."

Any further conversation became impossible as the twin engines roared into life, driving the aircraft down the runway, and forcing Kim's head back against the seat as the G-force took her breath away. Kim struggled for several minutes until the plane finally levelled off and she could move her head again.

"Couldn't you just have chartered a Lear Jet or something?" Kim took up the conversation as if it had never been interrupted, although her tone was more exasperated than angry now.

"Sure, why not. Hell we could have grabbed a Greyhound while we're at it." Shego sneered.

"You see, that's your problem Princess. You don't understand that it's not the destination that's important; it's how you get there."

Kim didn't reply, lost in her own thoughts as the aircraft steadily gained height. The young redhead pondered her own sorry state, barely aware of her surroundings or the passing of time, until the change in light levels finally roused her attention.

"What the..." Her voice trailed away as the air around the plane slowly lost its blue colour, suddenly fading away to reveal nothing but the blackness of space. Away from the scattered light of the sun, suddenly the stars sprang into view, gleaming in the dark sky, clearer than she had ever seen them before."

Shego smiled as she heard the sudden intake of breath, the sight stirred her soul every time even now, and hearing Kim's reaction took her back to her first time.

"This is what it's all about Kimmie." The breathy voice sounded in Kim's earphones as she stared in wonder at the sight above her. Below she could actually see the line where the blue sky gave way to the blackness of space; while above her head were the heavens in all its glory.

She had seen the stars before, of course, even been in actual space rather than just high above the stratosphere as she was now, but that had always been on a mission with her mind on other things. Now, she had the time to simply empty her mind and look in awe at the sight.

Shego kept the plane as high as she could for as long as the fuel allowed. When she finally steered the plane back down to a less elevated altitude, neither woman felt the need to talk, Shego was wondering what she had talked herself into, and as for Kimmie, hell if she knew what was going through her mind. Beneath them, the miles rolled away as they headed south, crossing the border sometime in the early afternoon.

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She woke with the sensation of crisp smooth sheets covering her body, and revelled in the simple pleasure of waking up in a fresh bed, before she remembered what had gone before. Sitting up, Yori was not too surprised to find herself fully dressed under the bedclothes, Ron's sensibilities were still endearingly naive in her view, not that she wasn't thankful in this case.

"Rufus!" the thought shot through her mind but she didn't move straight away, taking time to assess and categorise her own feelings before she was confronted with Ron's.

Kuji Kiri was the ancient ninjitsu art of meditation, used to focus the mind on the task in hand. In ancient times it had been used to allow a ninja to remain alert for hours without the need for sleep, allowing them to infiltrate a target's location often waiting for days until the perfect time to strike presented itself. Three days was the recognised maximum time limit beyond which the practice became unsafe, Yori had not slept for six.

She realised now how the self hypnosis technique had eroded her higher thought processes to the state where her only thoughts had been how to solve the problem at hand, how to remove the circlet from Rufus' head. She physically shuddered when she considered Ron's likely reaction if she had managed to carry out her plan.

With that realisation came another. Rufus was a friend of hers, and a trusted ally, yet she would have been willing to see him die to save Yamanouchi. Admittedly, she was willing to die herself for the same cause, as would any true Yamanouchi student, but her willingness to attribute the same devotion to Ron and Rufus surprised her. Sadly she acknowledged that the carefree girl that first met an American exchange student all those years ago was no more. Instead she was an Assassin, a trained killer with the mindset to match, and ready to do whatever was necessary to save Yamanouchi.

Briefly she hung on to the memory of her younger self, half wishing she could go back to those carefree days when school meant training among friends, watched over by the avuncular presence of Master Sensei. With a heavy sigh, she let go of the past and embraced the now.

Thinking of Master Sensei made her ponder on where he was now. Was her mentor watching over her or had he already rejoined the wheel of life? Yori considered him the most enlightened person she had ever met, but had he achieved Nirvana? Wherever he was, she was pretty sure he would not be condoning her recent actions. She couldn't believe the measures she had been willing to take to achieve her aims. Everything she had done since leaving Yamanouchi had ended in failure. She had got her team killed, failed to get the circlet to the Monkey Master as prophesied and now had nearly murdered an honoured friend.

Her recent actions would have shamed her previous self, but she spent no time wallowing in self recrimination, what was done was done. Instead she resolved to trust to Master Sensei's instincts, her own having so often proved untrustworthy. Sensei had an unwavering belief in the Monkey Master, and Rufus too, it was time she trusted in them too. Her composure restored, she stood up, smoothed down her blouse and headed out to find the others.

She found them in the kitchen, Rufus lying limply in what looked like an old shoebox, a towel providing some padding, while Ron held a breadstick dipped in melted cheese, trying to tempt his pet into eating something. On hearing the door open, he turned and looked at Yori with a relieved grin on his face.

"He's gonna be OK, look." he moved so that Yori could get a better view of the prone mole rat, weakly gnawing on the proffered snack.

"Hello Rufus San." Yori's voice sounded tired, and her smiled seemed a little weak to Ron, but he put that down to exhaustion. Seeing her collapse like that had scared the life out of him and he was just glad to see her up and about again. What he didn't know was the wave of shame that had swept over Yori when she saw the two of them together. How could she have even considered doing what she had intended? She was just glad that fate had intervened.

But Rufus didn't respond with his usual cheesy grin. Struggling onto his paws, he gingerly climbed out of his box and slowly hobbled over to where Yori had collapsed on a bar stool by the counter. Looking up into her eyes, his tiny paws clasped her index finger, and his face screwed up as he struggled to make a jaw designed by millions of years of evolution to do nothing more than chew earth, form the words he was trying to convey.

"Snow!" the look on his face expressed the frustration he was feeling at his inability to speak.

"You had another vision?" Ron sounded relieved as he finally got an explanation for the affliction that had struck down his friend.

Rufus nodded feebly, the exertion of speaking to Yori had plainly taken its toll. Gently picking him up in his hands, Ron carried him back to the padded box and placed him carefully back inside. Rufus tried once more to describe what he had seen, but complex sentences were beyond his capability and he just collapsed back into the towel.

"Snow uh huh."

Yori sighed with a mixture of tiredness and frustration.

"Hey, he's doing his best." Ron felt the need to stick up for his friend given the obvious annoyance Rufus was feeling at his inability to be more descriptive.

"I know Ron, I really do." Yori met his eyes as she tried to convince him of her sincerity. "But we are running out of time." Looking over to the exhausted rodent, she gave a little smile. "I know you're doing your best Rufus San" she said.

"Well we know something bad is coming right?" Ron was still trying to support his friend, his head turning first to look at Yori and then Rufus. Both nodded in agreement with his logic so far.

"Well now we know that wherever it is ..."

"Or going to be." Yori interjected. "I'm hoping we're being given some warning before the event."

"OK, but wherever it's going to be, it's snowing right?" Once more both Rufus and Yori nodded.

"Well when Rufus had his first vision in the cave he said something else didn't he." Yori looked at him with a puzzled mien.

"Lenium." It was a word she had repeated to herself repeatedly over the past week as she tried to tie it in with what little information there was on the mysterious circlet now fixed firmly around the naked rodents head.

"Ta da" Ron laid down a sheet of paper with a dramatic flourish. "I Googled it while you were asleep." he said with a big grin.

Yori leaned over the printout and even Rufus stirred himself to take a look. After a minute or so, Yori looked up into Ron's ecstatic face.

"Cleaning fluid?"

The only sound that could be heard was the slap of a paw connecting vigorously with a bald forehead.

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Kim had never been involved in a midair refuelling before, but Shego apparently had. At least she had no hesitation in lining up the plane with the fuel line trailing out of the tanker just ahead of them. It also made her wonder about the resources Jack Hench had at his control.

This was the second time they had refuelled, the first being at a remote airfield in the Mexican desert. She had only realised they had left the States when Shego greeted the ground crew in Spanish. She had picked up a few words in her travels, but Shego spoke it like a native. She did hear Hench's name mentioned several times and had quizzed Shego about it later.

Apparently Hench ran a massive support network that stretched right across North and Central America, and probably beyond. From the few snippets of information Shego let drop, it appeared that HenchCo not only provided manpower and stolen technology to the criminal classes, but also safe houses, infrastructure and more. She also surmised that he had links to more legitimate businesses, such as private security firms like Blackwater which was how he had managed to "borrow" a foreign fighter jet without it being reported stolen.

Kim had tried to engage Shego in conversation several times during the day, and as long as the topic remained inconsequential, she was quite willing to talk, but any attempt to steer the discussion towards more personal issues quickly led to the older woman changing the subject. Kim had three questions she wanted answering, where were they going, what they were going to do there and, most of all, why Shego was involving herself. She tried several times to draw the ex villainess out, but after a while simply gave up and spent the rest of the trip staring out of the window.

It wasn't just contrariness that stopped Shego from answering Kim's questions. Sure, she knew where they were going, and didn't really want to reveal her secret hideaway to her erstwhile worst enemy, but as to the other two questions, to be honest she wasn't too sure of the answers herself. Therefore, she fobbed the teenager off with various evasions in an attempt to avoid having to face her own doubts and insecurities.

The hours drifted by, and the light began to fade. Kim was starting to feel the strain of such a long journey on top of the past few days of disturbed nights, and it took a while to realise that once more the plane was starting to lose height. In the distance she could see a land mass and it quickly became obvious that this was what Shego was heading towards. As they drew nearer, she could see the landing lights of the airstrip and breathed a sigh of relief that the interminable journey was finally over.

The plane had barely taxied to a halt before Kim had unbuckled herself from her harness, only the cramped state of her legs preventing her from beating Shego to the ground. They were met by an old and pretty battered Jeep that looked like it was left over from World War II surplus, or at least a prop from some old war film. Without a word, Shego slipped into the driver's seat, while Kim sighed and threw her kitbag into the back, barely having time to sit down before the vehicle shot off.

Looking back, Kim could see another ground crew swarming over the vehicle, presumably prepping it for the long flight back before it was discovered missing. Turning round again, she was dismayed to see that Shego was driving away from the main mass of lights, but instead was heading towards the sea. It was only a short ride, but to Kim's aching muscles it felt like an eternity, tiredness battling with the uncomfortable jarring as the vehicle bounced over ruts and potholes in its madcap journey away from civilization. In the twilight, Kim could see the faint outline of a harbour coming into view, and it quickly became apparent that this was their destination. Kim groaned as the Jeep slid to a halt next to an old battered fishing vessel that certainly looked to have seen better days.

"You've got to be kidding right?" the uncertainty in Kim's voice causing Shego to give her a strange look. "I doubt that would even make it out of the harbour."

"What? You think we're going in that old heap?" Shego sounded amused. "Nuh Huh Kimmie, this is OUR ride." Kim looked to where Shego was pointing and her jaw dropped at the sight she had previously missed. A few yards away was the biggest yacht she had ever seen. It looked like something Onassis would have owned.

"No way!" Kim couldn't believe it, but she couldn't deny that Shego was already walking up the gangplank. Picking up her bag, she followed the thief onto the floating gin palace, shaking her head in disbelief. She nearly tripped as she stepped onto the boat, but a black gloved hand caught her elbow before she could come to any harm.

"Why don't you go inside and lie down." Shego sounded concerned. "You've gotta be bushed and the journey's not over yet."

Kim looked for a moment as if she was going to argue, but a yawn she couldn't stifle finally made up her mind. She stepped into the cabin, and barely noticed the plush interior before staggering over to a couch and collapsing onto it. She barely had time to kick off her shoes before she fell asleep.

Shego was feeling pretty drained herself, it had been a long flight and she hadn't had much sleep the night before, but she climbed up into the wheelhouse and fired up the engines. The two huge propellers kicked into life and churned the water as the huge boat began to move slowly away from the harbour's edge. Steering the vessel through the breakwater, it headed out to sea.

The journey took about an hour, Shego cursing occasionally under her breath as she relied on the compass and GPS system to keep her on track. Finally, she could see the dark shape of a landmass on the horizon, and about twenty minutes later, could make out the welcome sight of the jetty.

She wasn't so pleased, however, when she misjudged the approach and had to throw the engines in full reverse to prevent ploughing straight through the flimsy wooden structure. Despite this evasive manoeuvre, the boat was brought to a halt with a noticeable thump as it expended its remaining momentum on the wooden piles of the jetty. Shego cringed at the impact, but then shrugged. That was what those rope things on the side of the boat were for.

Jumping down onto dry land, she quickly tied up the vessel before it could drift off again, then headed back onboard to see where Kim had got to.

It didn't take long to find her; the teen was still passed out on the nearest couch to the cabin door. Shego looked down at her for a while, the young girl looked much younger asleep; and smaller somehow. Wondering what to do, she finally made up her mind and slipped her arms under the sleeping figures knees and shoulders.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Shego nearly jumped out of her skin, and she staggered back startled and off balance.

"Jeez Kimmie, way to give me a heart attack." Shego scowled, angry to have been caught unawares like that.

"Seriously though, what were you doing?" Kim sounded suspicious which just put Shego's back up.

"Hey, you can walk? Fine, grab your stuff." Embarrassment causing her voice to take on an angry tone.

With that she stormed out of the cabin, letting the door bang shut behind her. Kim stood for a while, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, before picking up her bag and heading out after her host. As she stepped out onto the wooden pier, she saw Shego heading up a small path through a small copse trees, quickly vanishing from view in the darkness. Shouldering her bag, Kim hurried after her, not wanting to be left behind.

Shego stood in the clearing before the front of the house and let the cool night air wash over her. She felt the initial anger drain away as a gentle breeze caressed her skin and taking a deep breath forced herself to take control of the turmoil in her mind.

"Great start Shego." the green thief muttered to herself as she came to realise what she had taken on. "Try not to pick a fight with the person you're supposed to be helping." Hearing Kim approach, she tossed her head to dispel the last of the irritation she was feeling and led the tired young woman up the steps onto the veranda and into the house.

Kim seemed subdued as Shego showed her the room she would be sleeping in. She collapsed on the bed with a weary sigh, letting her bag fall on the covers beside her. Not knowing what else to do, Shego opened it up and half heartedly started unpacking.

"You going to be alright here?" Shego gently asked.

Kim turned to face her with a slightly affronted look.

"I'm a grown woman Shego, I can look after myself."

"Uhuh!" With a black gloved hand, the thief pulled out a soft toy, some kind of mix between a panda and what looked like a giant rat. Shego didn't say a word, just looked at her with the faintest smirk on her lips, until Kim reached out and grabbed her Pandaroo, tossing it on the floor behind the bed.

"If you say so Princess." Shego dropped the bag on the bed and sauntered out of the room, closing the door behind her. Kim waited until she was sure she had gone, then quickly scooped up her toy and hugged it to her chest.

Shego didn't stay up long, just enough to close up the house for the night before heading to bed herself, it had been a long day and she was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Slipping on a nightdress, she curled up under the covers and dropped off within minutes.

There was no clock to tell her what time the scream woke her up. Instantly awake, the covers were thrown one way as she rolled out of bed into a combat stance before her mind registered what had disturbed her.

"Should have known better." she muttered to herself, as she grabbed a pillow and headed over to the spare bedroom. Opening the door, she found Kim sitting up in bed panting heavily and with a wild eyed stare. The redhead turned to look at her without recognition for a moment, shaking with the aftermath of her nightmare. There was no protest as Shego closed the door behind her and slipped into bed beside the quivering girl.

"Go to sleep Pumpkin." Shego softly stroked Kim's hair as she slowly regained control over her senses. Still barely awake, Kim allowed herself to be coaxed back into bed. Shego kept stroking her hair, and began crooning an old lullaby she used to use when the twins were young. It had worked for them when they had night terrors, and it seemed to have the same effect on Kim. Gradually the shakes subsided, and the young girl's breathing steadied as she slipped back into a deep sleep. Too tired to do anything more, Shego closed her eyes and drifted off her arm still casually resting on her companion's side.

*********************************************************************

When Shego woke, it was to the sound of parrots screeching in the trees outside. She didn't know what time it was but by definition it was too early, despite the bright sunlight peeking through the blinds. She wasn't a morning person by any means, Drakken had long learned never to cross her path until after the second coffee of the day, but to make matters worse, she had woken up with a throbbing headache.

It took a while for her to realise why she felt constrained before she remembered the night before. Kim was spooned up against her, her body heat making the older woman hot and uncomfortable. Disentangling herself as best she could, she eased herself out from under the duvet and padded silently across the room.

Kim stirred, shifting under the covers as her body accustomed itself to being alone in the bed. Shego held her breath until she was satisfied that Kim wasn't going to wake up; she needed some time to herself to prepare for the day ahead.

Slipping out of the bedroom, she closed the door behind her and headed for the kitchen. Ten minutes later, and a strong cup of very black coffee in her hands, she walked out onto the veranda and sat on one of the chairs overlooking the beach.

Despite the caffeine, her headache wasn't getting better, and she found her temper starting to rise. Even the sound of the sea breaking on the shore did nothing to calm her mood whereas normally it was one of her favourite methods of relaxing. Giving it up as a bad job, she headed back inside to see what she could rustle up for breakfast.

Shuffling over to the fridge, she threw open the door and bent down to peer inside. She stood there for a few minutes before straightening up with a water melon in one hand. She looked around for a minute before opening a draw and pulling out a sharp knife with which she proceeded to cut it into pieces, placing one slice on a plate and putting the rest into a bowl.

Her culinary skills exhausted, Shego returned to the coffee machine and began brewing up another eye-watering concoction before heading out once more. She was still there when Kim came out to join her.

The first thing that struck Kim as she stepped out onto the veranda was the sheer beauty of the view before her. The villa was set back just behind the tree line, in a small clearing leaving a narrow path leading down to the beach. She hadn't noticed, the night before, how the small jetty was offset from the building so as not to spoil the perfect vista visible from the front of the house. Framed by the curving trunks of palm trees was a beautiful white sand beach leading down to an azure blue sea. On the horizon was the faintest smudge, all that could be seen of the other islands in the archipelago, but the general impression was one of isolation. The colourful plumage of several parrots completed the whole Robinson Crusoe effect, leaving the young woman speechless.

Shego hoped it would stay that way; her head was really starting to bother her, with an incessant throbbing causing her to squeeze her eyes shut before taking another swig of coffee. Unfortunately it was not to be.

"I don't believe it!" Kim's voice sounded muted as she slowly turned, taking in the panoramic view. "Where did you find this place?"

Shego grunted, not wanting to cause her head any more pain by speaking, but the unanswered question hung in the air, and Kim turned to face her waiting for a reply.

"Won it in card game." Shego shrugged and then instantly regretted it. Taking one last drink, she threw the dregs out over the side of the veranda and walked down the steps into the clearing.

"You're kidding me right?" Kim sounded sceptical at first, but the deadpan look from the older woman stopped her in her tracks.

"Really?" The rising pitch of her voice sent a new sliver of pain through Shego's head causing her to wince.

"Look Kim, do you think we could skip the tourist spiel for now?" Shego began, but before she could explain, she was interrupted.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Huh?" Shego was caught off guard by the sudden switch to a more businesslike approach from her companion.

"Oh, er I dunno. Lounge by the pool then get some lunch I suppose." Shego hadn't really thought that far ahead, and didn't want to tax her aching head now. Kim on the other hand was not impressed.

"That's it?" The volume of her voice rose in disbelief. "A few hours sunbathing and everything will be back to normal?"

Shego was starting to get annoyed now. The pounding headache was getting worse, and she didn't need to be whined at by a sulky brat when she was just trying to help.

"Screw you Kimmie! It's better than moping around in your room crying."

"And if I pretend nothing's wrong, it will all go away? That might work for you Shego but I care about what happened."

Kim couldn't believe the callousness of the woman. Someone had died because of her, and this bitch wanted her to forget about it and have some fun? Kim looked to vent some more, but Shego wasn't listening. The pain in her head was so bad now that she was pressing her clenched fists against her forehead, growling as she fought to bear the waves of agony rolling through her skull. Finally, with a guttural roar she flung her arms forward, her hands igniting with green flame as she did so. Plasma flooded out, shooting away from the ex superhero eventually striking a tree about one hundred yards away.

Kim had never seen her expel so much energy at once before. It was a humbling sight, almost elemental in its sheer force. She looked on horrified as Shego's face contorted into an angry snarl, her expression almost bestial in its fury. The palm tree never stood a chance. It resisted the power for a few seconds before the trunk exploded under the internal pressure of the superheated sap inside. Wooden splinters blasted everywhere as a ten foot section shattered into smithereens.

Shego finally lowered her arms, the green flame ceasing simultaneously. Her head lowered and her hair dropped over her face, she took a deep breath realising that her headache was gone. Tossing her head back, one hand brushing the hair back over her shoulder, she saw Kim staring like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car, face white and fear showing in her eyes.

"Oh Shit!" Shego wasn't sure what to say, the experience had shaken her too. She always knew she had a temper, but she had never just lost control like that before. It was as if a red mist had descended and she needed to release all her pent up frustrations in one dramatic gesture.

"You OK Kimmie?" She reached out an arm towards Kim, who instinctively took a step back.

"Yuh Yeah." she stuttered "No big."

Shego stepped back onto the veranda. "I guess you could do with some breakfast right?"

There was no answer, only the slow resumption of the screeches of the parrots that had been scared away. Shego shrugged and walked back into the house, leaving a shaken Kim Possible staring disbelievingly at the shattered remains of the tree.

*********************************************************************

Despite Kim's reservations, there really was nothing else for her to do. Breakfast was a tense affair, the recent disturbance still weighing heavily on both women's minds. There really was a pool behind the villa. When Kim asked why when the sea was only a few yards away, Shego shrugged and gave her an abrupt one word answer.

"Sharks."

They spent the morning lounging by the pool, Shego in her usual green one-piece swimsuit while Kim somewhat less comfortable in shorts and a tee-shirt. Neither woman was relaxed, however, the earlier events still hung over them like a black cloud. Shego looked up from the magazine she was pretending to read, only to see Kim lying on a lounger pretending to sleep.

"OK Kimmie, let's talk about this."

There was no initial reply but Shego had had enough.

"Come on Kim, I know you're awake."

The redhead opened her eyes and looked back at Shego with a pensive expression on her face. Eventually she bit the bullet and asked the question that had been bothering her all morning.

"Were you holding back all those times?"

"Huh?" Shego wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"When we fought before, were you holding back?" Kim's expression had intensified as she sought answers.

Shego thought for a while, wondering what the hell she could say to that.

"Do you remember the time you kicked me into that tower? Do you remember how you felt?" Shego's voice was low and she didn't look Kim in the eyes as she struggled to find a way to explain.

"Of course, I felt terrible ..."

"No! Not afterwards" Shego interrupted. "Do you remember how you felt at the time?"

Kim flushed as she remembered those fleeting moments while she watched the Diablo tower collapse into ruin, taking her nemesis with it. Her voice was hollow as she replied.

"I felt powerful. Satisfaction at finally winning for good." Her voice trailed away as she remembered the ugly smirk that had perfectly matched her mood at the time.

"Yeah, well I know that feeling well Kimmie, and I didn't like it any more than you did. So yeah, I'm holding back when we fight, just the same as you are. Neither of us want to go there again right?"

The two women's eyes met as they both acknowledged the professional courtesy they extended to each other. Finally Shego gave a flippant wave of her hand as she sought to lighten the mood.

"Anyway, you never stood still long enough to hit you that hard. If you'd been as slow as that tree, I'd have put you down long ago."

Kim stifled a giggle at the ridiculousness of this last comment. Shego's answering smirk and the breaking of the tension between them washed over her like a warm wave. Giving up the battle, she chuckled out loud, Shego's bemused face simply causing her to convulse with laughter. Lolling back on her lounger she laughed uncontrollably clutching her side as she released all the built up tension.

Shego could hear the suppressed hysteria in Kim's response, but all things considered, she could think of worse reactions. The mirth was infectious, and she too chuckled slightly, but Kim just kept laughing as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard.

"Alright, alright, it wasn't that funny." Shego tried to gain control of the situation, but Kim wasn't listening. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, with each roar of laughter interspersed with the odd "Ow" as her ribs began to ache.

It was only the impact of a cushion hitting her on the head that finally allowed the teen to regain control of herself. It struck her perfectly, knocking her right off the lounger and onto the floor. The sight of her dishevelled hair framing her scowling face caused Shego to snigger herself.

"Come on Kimmie, time to go shopping. We need to get you some beachwear that doesn't look like it was chosen by your Nana." Kim's indignant "Hey!" ignored as she headed back inside.

*******************************************************************

It turned out that Shego's desire to return to the main island wasn't entirely hedonistic. The simple fact was that the only food in the house was the fruit left there by the fishermen's wives she paid to look after the building when she was away.

Apparently, Shego never cooked when on holiday, and when Kim offered to do so, she was strenuously rebuffed.

"Subject myself to student cooking? No thanks." Shego had scoffed as the two women climbed aboard the motor-yacht. The thought of living on waffles and noodles wasn't something she ever wanted to contemplate.

So it was that Kim found herself sitting in a harbour side restaurant eating a light seafood salad, washed down with Coke. The harbour was filled with fishing boats, apparently a major industry here, while larger vessels were moored in the container port that services the whole archipelago. Once they had eaten, Shego led her up into the old town, not to a mall, there wasn't anything like that here, but instead into the narrow streets that were left over from the island's old colonial past.

Kim had never been to a bazaar before; she was more used to the sanitised cleanliness of the mall. She wandered enchanted through the busy throng, watching the locals gesticulating wildly as they haggled with the stall owners. Progress was slow as the two women worked their way through the crowd, the cries of the vendors filling their ears as they worked their way across the square. Occasionally, something caught their eye and they stopped for a closer look until eventually Shego headed down another narrow alley, lined with shops.

As evening fell, they headed back to the boat, Kim feeling a bit apprehensive as apparently Shego had plans for the evening. They sat and watched the sun go down drinking cool iced tea before heading out once more for dinner.

"Are you sure a club is a good idea?" Kim raised the subject as they sat in the restaurant.

"You need to lighten up Kimmie, that's your whole problem. Need to get some perspective." Shego dismissed her concerns with a wave of her fork before spearing another prawn. Kim finished her meal in silence, not convinced but not really having much choice in the matter as she saw it.

An hour later, she thought her worst fears were justified as she headed down a narrow set of steps into a darkened room with flashing lights and a pulsing bass. Shego didn't notice her companion's reservations. She hadn't been clubbing for years and felt a frisson of excitement as they stepped out onto the dance floor. The bands had changed, but the thumping rhythms were timeless and she began to move, swaying in time to the beat while dragging a reluctant Kim away from the shadows and into the light.

She protested at first, but under constant coaxing, Kim began to give in to the music, her body finding its own cadence and she let herself be lost in the rhythm. She closed her eyes and danced, letting all her worries and fears be lost in the music.

The club was fairly empty when they first entered, but it was filling up fast. Not many locals, but there were plenty of seamen for whom this was their first landfall for months, and then there were the tourists, people from across the globe giving the place an eclectic clientele.

Kim felt herself be bumped as the dance floor filled, opening her eyes, she found herself surrounded by strangers, all moving in their own personal dance as the sound pulsated around them. She suddenly felt closed in by the crush of bodies. The heat was starting to make her feel light headed and her mouth was dry. The tense, claustrophobic feeling dominated her mind as she was pushed again, the overwhelming sense of being smothered pushing her to the edge of panic. Turning, her head began to spin. Franticly she looked for a way to escape the crushing throng but all she could see were more bodies threatening to crush her under their feet. Her heart rate began to increase, and her breathing switched to short shallow pants as she began to hyperventilate. One or two people stared at her as she let out a whimper of fear, her only consideration to find an escape from this frightening tide of humanity that threatened to swallow her whole.

Just as hysteria threatened to drive her over the edge, she felt the soft touch of hands on her shoulders, and the waft of a perfume she knew so well.

"Shhhh." Shego's voice cut through the panic as her hands slid down Kim's arms enfolding her in an embrace. With a sob of relief, Kim let herself be enveloped, her body limply sinking back to rest on the supportive frame of her saviour.

"It's OK Kim, I've got you." Shego felt the younger woman relax under her touch. The girl's body shivering slightly as the raw emotions generated by the crowd raged through her mind.

Shego hadn't noticed at first that the two of them had been separated. She had been caught up in a memory of a time long ago when life was simple, free from both the strains of the superhero life and the need to maintain a super villain persona. Caught up in a world where no one knew or cared who she was, she had let the moment carry her away, until she realised that she had lost sight of her young charge.

She rested her chin on Kim's shoulder, crooning softly in her ear and gradually coaxing her into a calmer frame of mind. Slowly she began to dance, Kim keeping time with her movements, her eyes closed as she swayed her body to the music. The younger woman dancing with her back to her older companion, whose arms remained wrapped around her body protecting her from the outside world.

Two beautiful women dancing so intimately swiftly gained an audience among the mainly male clientele. A space cleared around the pair as their bodies swayed together, and Shego quickly noticed the attention they were attracting. Looking at the admiring glances they were receiving, she remembered another game she had played many years before.

There in the crowd, looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, was a young man who couldn't believe what was he was seeing. Shego looked at him with a wicked smile, and slowly changed the rhythm of her dance.

Kim quickly noticed the change in tempo, and also the fact that Shego's arms had wrapped themselves tighter around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she hissed as she felt warm breath in her ear as her dancing partner ran her lips over the redhead's shoulder.

"You see that kid to your left? The one who looks like he's just been pole axed?"

Kim gasped as she felt a tongue wrap itself around her earlobe, soft lips caressing her skin sending shivers down her spine. Opening her eyes she immediately saw who Shego was talking about.

"You mean the one with the eyes bulging out of his head and whose jaw is hanging wide open?"

Shego gave a throaty chuckle at the description, and began to run her nose along Kim's jaw line, inhaling the scent as her partner's head involuntarily tilted away, giving her greater access to her sensitive throat.

"What do you bet we can make him pop?"

Kim barely registered the reply; her body was reacting strongly to the treatment it was being subjected to. Shego had a touch that fired sensations she had never felt before and she didn't know how to react.

She looked over at the young man once more. He couldn't have been more than seventeen years old, probably on his first trip, and looking decidedly flushed. Kim focused on his reactions as Shego continued her sensuous assault on her body. She felt those hands that had been stroking her arms drop down onto her hips, then slide down further, where they proceeded to hike up Kim's dress to display an indecent amount of thigh.

Kim watched as the boy reddened further at the scene before him, too fascinated by his reaction to protest at the treatment Shego was meting out.

"Come on Kim, he's right on the edge." The voice breathy with anticipation, urging her on.

"Shego, this is seriously wrong!" Kim never stopped moving to the beat even as she protested at the treatment being meted out to her body. Her objection was stifled however, by her sudden gasp as she felt Shego's nails running gently across her taut stomach. Her muscles rippled under the tender ministrations and her eyes shot open as she felt them run under the curve of her breast. She felt those fingers trace their way along her arm, slowly lifting it until she gave in and reached back behind her, wrapping her arm around Shego's neck.

As if in a trance, Kim slowly turned around, Shego's hands shifting position to rest on her backside as both pairs of green eyes met. Kim buried her head into the mass of black silky hair as she draped her arms around Shego's neck. Shego raised her head, and her eyes met her poor victim's gaze. Black lips curled into a wicked smirk, and she blew him a kiss.

It was too much for the young man. His face bright red, he turned and pushed his way out of the circle of admirers that had congregated to see the show.

Throwing her head back, Shego roared with laughter and stepped back out of Kim's embrace.

"Oh that was too perfect Kitten." Shego's amused look meeting a somewhat reproachful glare from Kim.

"That was wicked Shego. That poor boy."

"Yeah, like you didn't enjoy it too." Shego wasn't going to let Kim take the moral high ground. Not after the show she had put on in front of all these people.

Kim tried to suppress a giggle and failed, then poked Shego in the chest with her index finger. "No more games OK!"

Shego winked. "How about we grab a drink?" The hot lights and energetic dancing starting to take their toll.

Kim was more than ready for a rest. For a start, she wanted to break out of the circle of openly admiring fans that had gathered around them, some of the comments being thrown their way were making her blush with shame.

Laughing, Shego grabbed her hand and dragged her over to an empty booth seat. At Kim's insistence, she brought back a ginger beer for the teenager, while treating herself to a cocktail. Kim sat at the table, nursing her drink. She was content to sit and watch, waving Shego away when she tried to talk her into dancing, happy to be left alone for a while.

She sat, staring at the chaotic mass of gyrating bodies, her mind racing as it tried to comprehend what had just happened. Despite her fame, emotionally she was a very private person, or at least she thought she was. Yet she had just put on a public exhibition that made her blush to even think about it.

At first she tried to blame it on Shego, after all it had been her idea, and she hadn't taken no for an answer, but ultimately she had to admit that she could have stopped it at any time, why didn't she. What complicated things even further was how her body had reacted to Shego's ministrations. However much she tried to deny it, she couldn't forget how her heart had raced and her skin tingled at the older woman's sensual touch. No one had ever made her feel that way before. The closest had been how she used to feel when she first started chasing Josh Mankey, but that was just a pale shadow compared to the sensations that had coursed through her body under Shego's deft manipulations.

She couldn't help but compare dancing with Shego to how she had felt dancing with Ron. She was suddenly aware that there had always been something missing in that relationship, some spark that never seemed to be there. It was as if they were still best friends, just that they used to kiss now.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a tall French man who suddenly sat down across the table from her seat.

"That was quite a show you and your friend put on mademoiselle."

Her face coloured as she looked up to see his lips twitch in a slight smile.

"Poor Dmitry, he'll never live that down you know."

"You know him?" Kim's voice squeaked slightly as she cringed with embarrassment. The man laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I'm first mate on his ship." He raised a bottle of beer to his lips and took a long draught. "His first voyage and he gets exposed to a display like that? He never stood a chance."

"Oh God!" Kim buried her head in her hands, running her fingers through her hair. "Look, I'm so sorry, it was my friend's idea..." her voice trailed off as she realised what she was saying. Taking a deep breath she looked up.

"Will he be OK?"

The man laughed again, "Don't worry about it, he got off lightly.  
It is a tradition that the newest member of a crew is subjected to some kind of humiliation on their first voyage. Believe me, my experience was much worse."

Chuckling to himself, he raised his drink and took another swig.

"I'm Francois by the way."

Kim took his offered hand, "Kim." she replied. At least he didn't seem to recognise her. It was a relief sometimes not to be seen as the saviour of the world.

"So what happened to you?" she asked, still feeling awkward about the whole situation.

"I was seventeen, and we were sailing down to the Solomon Islands. The Bosun took me to one side when we hit port, and told me it was time I became a man."

Looking up into the young girl's uncomprehending gaze, he smiled at her naivety.

"He took me to a brothel."

"Ohh." Kim blushed at the forthright language of the man.

"They told me to be careful as it was illegal, the local police were very strict on foreigners, but I didn't want them to think I was scared so I went along with it."

As her new friend narrated his sorry tale, Kim found herself drawn into it. The man was a born storyteller, and the way he described his own fear as he was led up the stairs to one of the rooms, made her feel as if she were there.

"So there I was, naked as the day I was born, too scared to do anything except try to cover myself up, when there was a violent banging on the door, and a voice shouting 'Open up in there.'"

"What did you do?" Kim was fascinated.

The Frenchman laughed. "I was so terrified I jumped right out of the window. Didn't even stop to open it first, you can still see the scars."

Kim leaned forward as the older man stretched out his arm. Even in the deep light, she could see several pale lines marring his otherwise tanned skin. Looking up in morbid fascination she waited for him to continue.

"I landed right in front of an old woman, stark naked and scared out of my wits. I turned and ran down the main street, through the docks and didn't stop until I was back on board my ship."

"And did the police catch up with you?" Kim couldn't help herself but to ask.

"Nah, there were no police. It was the bosun all along."

Kim looked at him stunned, until his deep laugh drew out her own sense of humour, and she too began to smile. As she waited for the sailor to regain his composure, she went to take another drink when she realised her glass was empty.

"Here, let me get that." Francois took the glass from her hand. "What are you drinking?"

His eyebrows twitched slightly when she told him she was drinking ginger beer, but he nodded, and headed off towards the bar.

Kim didn't know what to do now. She didn't feel like moving, she still had some issues she wanted to think over. Before long, however, the man returned, plonking a glass in front of her before putting two more bottles of beer on the table.

Kim was soon drawn into the tales her new friend was weaving about various voyages he had been on. Before long she was caught up in the story, raising her glass to her lips unthinking, she took a deep drink, mesmerised by the images conjured up by the storyteller.

**********************************************************************

Shego was having a great time. She felt carefree in a way she hadn't for several years, losing herself in the pulsating beat of the music. It was only thirst that finally led her to head back over to where she had left Kim, a stray guilty thought passing through her mind that she had left the teenager to her own devices for so long, before reasoning that Kim had had the option of joining her at any time.

As she neared the table, she could see the redhead, one elbow on the table, with her head resting on her hand. She also couldn't help noticing the large number of beer bottles and glasses.

"You OK Kimmie?" Shego asked as she flopped down into the booth seat opposite.

"'M fine." Kim waved a half empty glass in Shego's general direction and gave her a silly smile. Shego frowned as the girl gave every indication of being totally plastered.

"What are you drinking?" Shego grabbed the glass from the younger woman's hand and took a suspicious sniff.

"'S only gin-ginger beer. Hic." Kim put a hand over her mouth and looked mortified.

Shego took a sip. It certainly tasted like ginger beer, but her seasoned taste buds picked up the faint hint of vodka disguised by the strong taste of the mixer.

Francois had no difficulty picking up both bottles of beer and another glass of the Moscow Mule he had bought for the luscious young girl he had been talking to. Her earlier display of wanton sexuality coupled with her innocent look and demeanour made him burn with lust. She didn't seem to have noticed the extra ingredient he had been adding to her drink, or if she did, she didn't seem to mind.

Heading back to where his mark was sitting, he was suddenly intercepted by the taller woman who had been dancing with Kim earlier.

"Hi." she smiled at him, but some sense in the back of his mind warned him that she was trouble. "I just wanted to thank you for looking after my friend."

Francois smiled nervously. Some sixth sense was telling him that this lady was trouble, but his beer fuddled mind had difficulty deciding what to do, when the option was taken away from him.

His whole world dissolved into white pain, as agony suddenly blossomed in his groin. Drinks slipped from nerveless fingers as his knees shot together, too late to protect his most vulnerable area. As he slowly sank towards the ground, his jaw exploded in pain, and he was knocked off his feet, landing awkwardly on one shoulder. Before he could register his new predicament, he felt slim strong fingers squeeze his face as they wrapped themselves around his cheeks.

"Normally, I'd do this properly, but it's your lucky day, I don't have the time." Shego hissed with suppressed fury as she looked down on the evil bastard that had spiked Kim's drinks.

"Next time you won't be so lucky." She punctuated her speech with another swift kick to the man's groin, now cupped protectively in his hands, but still eliciting a groan of renewed agony.

Walking back to the table, she pulled the drunk girl up by her arm, and led her towards the exit.

"But I wanted another drink!" Kim wailed as she realised where Shego was taking her.

"I think you've had enough." Shego muttered as she led the teenager out of the club and into the fresh air. The cool night breeze washed over them, pleasant after the hot claustrophobia of the nightclub.

"How are you feeling?" Shego looked into Kim's eyes, trying to assess whether it was just alcohol or something more sinister.

"I'm fine." Kim brushed off Shego's steadying grip haughtily, before staggering slightly as the cold night air had its effect on her inebriated body.

"Just great!" Shego took the redhead's arm and headed off back towards the boat. "I thought you students could handle your drink."

Kim laughed, and threw one arm around Shego's neck, while letting her weight fall onto the older woman's shoulders, causing her to stagger before adjusting to the unexpected weight.

"You're the best friend a girl could have." Kim gushed, causing Shego's eyes to roll. Still, she reasoned, it could be worse. She was just grateful that Kim was a friendly drunk rather than an aggressive one. That really didn't bear thinking about.

Finally reaching the yacht, Shego unceremoniously dumped the inebriated Kim onto one of the couches, where she seemed perfectly happy to just lie there watching the room spin. Heading up to the wheelhouse, Shego fired up the engines and headed out to sea. All in all, she figured, it had been a good day. She was a great believer in drowning her sorrows when things were bad, everything always seemed much better to her after a heavy drinking session, and she hoped that Kim would feel the same way.

On arrival at the island, she found Kim fast asleep, draped over the couch where she had left her. Grumbling to herself about having to babysit precious heroes, she scooped her up in her arms and carried her up to the house.

Laying her on the bed, Shego removed her shoes, and then as an afterthought, removed her dress as well. That led to other considerations, and she finally removed bra and tights too, reasoning that she wouldn't want to sleep in her clothes, so neither would Kim. Looking down at the now semi-naked girl, she thought about fetching one of her nightshirts for her, but decided it would be too much trouble.

"Sod it, it's a warm night after all." she reasoned as she laid the duvet over Kim's sleeping form. Heading back to her room, she got undressed, then remembered the night before. With a sigh, she dragged her pillow off her bed and headed back into Kim's room.

"You'd better not be sick on me, that's all." Shego addressed the comatose teenager as she slipped under the duvet next to her. After the emotionally draining morning, the afternoon shopping spree and then several hours dancing took its toll, and it wasn't long before Shego too was fast asleep.

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Deep beneath the earth, a figure stalked through the cavern that had been his prison for so long. A sickly reddish glow infused the space. The Lotus Blade hung in the air, still encased by its crimson cage. Its blue light still fighting the encroaching aura of decay, but getting weaker as it was slowly consumed.

Booted feet strode across the cavern floor, the armoured figure pacing as it alternated between elation and fear. An opportunity had been lost, but now its servant was in position to finally dispose of this Kim Possible, opening the way for the real task ahead, the death of the Monkey Master.

But even now, doubts gnawed at his soul. His puppet had family complications that could bring down a force of good too powerful for him to deal with in his weakened state. At all costs that had to be avoided, but he had run out of time. By his reckoning, there were six days remaining before the Lotus Blade was converted. Six days before his full power would be unleashed. Until that time he was vulnerable, and there was always the prophecy hanging over his head. The Monkey Master must die before he could save the Lotus Blade.

Frustrated by his own impotence, Adauchi resumed his pacing. Or should he call himself Toshimiru?


	12. Ch 11 Puppet on a String

It was still dark when Shego woke up, some sense warning her something wasn't right. Then she heard the retching sounds coming from the bathroom and realised Kim wasn't in bed with her. The thought that maybe she should get up and see if she was OK battled briefly in her mind, but swiftly lost to the desire to just roll over and go back to sleep. As she slowly drifted off, she just had time to hear Kim come back into the room and slide into bed before darkness took her.

Several hours later, daylight streaming through a gap in the blinds woke her once more. She rolled over, throwing the cover over her head to block out the light, but it was too late, she was awake. She also noticed that she was alone. Muttering tetchily that teenagers used to stay in bed until the afternoon in her day, she rolled out of bed and shuffled off to find out where her annoying guest had got to.

Stopping only to scoop up an apple from the fruitbowl on the sideboard, she found Kim sitting out on the verandah, looking out at the ocean waves rolling gently up the beach.

"You OK Kimmie?" Shego moved up beside the younger woman, casually taking a bite out of the fruit in her hand. "How are you feeling."

Kim turned to look at her, her eyes looked a little bloodshot, and her face was definitely paler than usual.

"How do you think I'm feeling after last night?" The accusation in her voice was clear.

"Hey don't worry about it." Shego dismissed her concerns with a casual wave of her hand. "You drank too much and suffered the consequences, big deal."

Kim's mouth opened to speak but she didn't get the chance as Shego's voice took on a more lecturing tone.

"Although, if you're going to accept drinks from people you don't know, I suggest you do it sitting at the bar when you can see what they're giving you." The hand holding the apple wagged accusingly at the young teen's naivity.

Kim flushed, her reply pre-empted by Shego's scolding.

"You were lucky he didn't slip you Rohypnol. You could have been bound, gagged and being gangbanged from here to the Phillipines."

"Oh as opposed to being molested right on the dance floor I suppose." Kim shot back, her voice hot with anger.

"Huh?" Shego sounded genuinely puzzled. "THAT's whats bothering you? Come on it was just a joke."

"A Joke? What kind of twisted pervert would think that was funny?"

Shego shrugged, she didn't see what Kim was getting so worked up about.

"Just something a friend of mine dreamt up when we were kids. Some jerk on the football team dumped her and this was her way of getting her own back." Shego chuckled at the memory, but quickly turned it into a cough when she saw Kim wasn't seeing the funny side.

"Looking back on it now, I guess it was pretty childish" she conceded.

Kim fumed, but didn't have any instant reply to this revelation, and Shego didn't give her time to come up with one.

"Anyway, I don't see why you're getting so worked up about it, I mean I bet you and Stoppable have gotten all hot and steamy on the dance floor."

"Hello! He's my boyfriend." Kim thought she was just stating the obvious, but from her expression, it appeared Shego just didn't get it. "Plus. You're a girl."

Shego shrugged. As far as she was concerned it had just been a bit of fun. Ok, so maybe she'd got carried away with some old memories, but it wasn't as if it meant anything.

In the face of such nonchalance, Kim felt the need to elaborate. "Anyway, he certainly wouldn't maul me like you did."

"Oh come on, Really? I mean, I know he's a buffoon but surely he's not that retarded. He does know what to do right?"

"We dance." Kim acknowledged. "We kiss, and hold hands."

"Oooh feel the passion." Shego mocked. "What is he? Gay?"

"NO!" Kim leapt to her friend's defence instinctively. Not her friend, her boyfriend she corrected herself mentally. "He's considerate, doesn't want things to move too quickly."

Shego snorted dismissively. "Too quickly? It's been what, a year? What timescale does this guy work to, geological?" She shook her apple at the younger girl again. "I never did understand what you ever saw in him, this just confirms I was right!"

"He's cute." Shego's cocked eyebrow showed what she thought of that comment, but Kim ignored it and carried on.

"He's funny, and loyal" she added. "And he's always there for me."

"Nice Possible." Shego drawled. "You do realise you've just described a puppy. Tell me, do you rub his nose in it if he makes a puddle?"

"He's considerate, he wouldn't take advantage of me the way you did."

"Take advantage? I don't recall you making much of an attempt to stop me!"

"Hello, traumatised much? I killed someone Shego, in case you forgot. Someone died because of me. Because of what I did. The last thing I care about is how to help you relive some depraved act of your childhood."

"Oh get over yourself, for fucks sake." Shego's notoriously short temper finally snapped. "It's way too early in the morning for this whiny emo shit!"

Kim's face flushed as if she had been slapped.

"What?" She interjected, but Shego wasn't listening.

"You know, I've had it up to here with your constant self pity. This martyr complex is really getting old.

Kim's mouth dropped in astonishment, the verbal assault totally unexpected and out of the blue.

"What makes you think it's all your fault anyway? You could just as easily blame it all on Drakken. He's the one who blew up the fucking compound. Or me. If I hadn't sent you that email, you wouldn't have even been there. Hell, why not blame it on your parents for having you? It makes just as much sense as your bullshit logic that this is all your fault."

Shego took a deep breath as she wrestled with her emotions, toning down the volume of her diatribe as she slowly regained self control.

"Look Kim. All of us knew the risks when we chose this life. You do, I do and Bob sure as hell did. Drakken certainly paid him enough. I get that you feel bad, but there was nothing you could do."

Kim slowly turned her head to look at the older woman, her face sullen.

"I knew he was incapacitated Shego, no one else did. I didn't even think about saving him, just focussed on stopping the two of you from getting away. You don't know what its like having someone's blood on your hands so don't try to tell me that it wasn't my fault OK?"

With that she stormed back into the house, slamming the front screen behind her. Shego stood there for a moment before sinking into the chair recently vacated by the angry teen. Hurling the half eaten apple into the trees, she rubbed her temples with her fingertips, her head throbbing with the first pains of another headache.

"Oh yeah. That went well."

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Figuring it was best for Kim to calm down, before approaching her again, Shego sat and watched the sea for a while, before heading back into the house to get dressed. Seeing that Kim was nowhere to be seen inside, she finally steeled her nerve and headed out to the back patio to find her quarry stretched out on her stomach, lying on one of the sun loungers.

Shego pulled up one of the chairs and sat next to her, not saying anything for a while as she schooled her thoughts.

"On the first day of school, someone decided they were going to be my friend." A wistful smile played on Shego's lips as she remembered that day so many years ago.

"It wasn't something I wanted, and certainly not something I was looking for, even then, but Megan was never one to let other peoples opinions get in her way."

Shego didn't look at Kim as she spoke, preferring to gaze into the distance. Even Hego didn't know the whole tale, and she wasn't sure how much she was going to reveal, there were some things she didn't want anyone to know.

"By the end of that first day, she'd won. From that point on, we did everything together." A sigh escaped her lips as she briefly wallowed in nostalgia at how simple life had been before everything changed, a wistful smile playing on her black lips as she remembered how it felt to have someone you trusted completely.

"There were no secrets, we told each other everything. Sisters in everything but name, it was us against the world."

Kim shifted, interested in spite of herself. She had always known Shego to be a very private person, even Wade had failed to dig up much dirt from her life before Drakken.

"She was the prettiest girl in the school." Shego enthused, her voice intense, the pride evident in every gesture, every syllable. Turning to face Kim, the younger girl could see a vitality behind the older woman's eyes, something she had never seen before.

"And she could move. She was the best dancer I ever saw." Her tone dropped back to a more normal pitch, and she gave a little laugh.

"She wanted to be a ballerina, but she was too tall, the lanky beanpole. So she became a model instead." Her eyes twinkled as she remembered traded insults, a friendship so strong that even her natural snarkiness had no impact.

"And then the comet came." The change of tone was electric. It sent a chill down Kim's spine with its deep bitter undertones. Shego's gaze had dropped to the floor. She had been surprised by the sudden upwelling of resentment in her breast. Blinking away the prickling sensation in her tear-ducts, her voice became more distant, as vivid images replayed themselves in her mind.

"For a while, I had been part of something, one of the in-crowd. I had never been popular before, but Megan changed all that. Until the freaky green skin put everyone off. They said that I was a mutant who should be locked away in some asylum, that she had to choose between them and me." Shego's mouth twisted in a feral grin.

"She just grabbed my arm and walked away."

Shego was barely aware of Kims presence now, she was so caught up in the narrative, but her audience was just as engaged. Kim had some experience of having an unfashionable friend in the face of populist acceptance, but even Bonnie had never given her an ultimatum of a choice between Ron and the cheerleading squad. If she had, the young teen liked to think that she would have made the right choice, but deep in her heart, she knew it would not have been an easy decision to make. That realisation shamed her, and gave her some insight into the closeness of the relationship between Shego and this Megan. Rapt, her previous issues forgotten, she listened as the story unfolded.

"It wasn't an easy time. With our parents dead, it was just the five of us. Then Hego had his crazy idea of setting up a superhero crime fighting team. Seemed like a cool idea at the time, but of course, it didn't take long before it all went sour." Shego glanced up at Kim's face, a wry grimace on her face.

"We fell foul of local police pretty quickly, I can tell you. They really didn't like us treading on their toes, and they especially took exception to me."

"Your winning personality, no doubt." Kim interrupted dryly

Shego flashed her a quick smirk.

"Could be." she continued. "Whatever it was, we regularly clashed over the years until eventually, the Mayor called Hego into his office. Between them, they agreed we would only intervene in the special cases, leaving regular law and order to the professionals." The scorn in her voice told Kim exactly what Shego thought of that arrangement. "Personally, I think we were just making them look bad. People were asking why they had to pay for a police force when they had us to deal with everything."

She sighed as she recalled the growing sense of dissatisfaction. "I was already disillusioned by this time, and with graduation coming up it seemed a good time to drop out. Megan had her modelling career and I left to go into teacher training college."

"We kept in touch over the years, but when I graduated, we arranged to meet up. I had been busy studying while she was always off on some exotic photoshoot. We both looked forward to seeing each other again."

Kim rolled over and sat up. Something in Shego's demeanour told her this was not going have a happy ending.

"She called to tell me she was just going to the bank. I had a few things I needed to get done first, but eventually I walked up the highstreet to meet her."

Shego finally turned to face the rapt redhead, her eyes vacant as she relived the day that changed her life forever.

"I never made it, I was stopped by a police cordon. The bank was under siege as there was a gang holed up inside with hostages."

"I wouldn't have thought that would stop you?" Kim interrupted. "A few bank robbers wouldn't give you much of a challenge."

Shego shrugged.

"It wasn't them that stopped me." she continued, every word laced with contempt. "It was the police. A dangerous vigilante they called me. Told me to leave it to the professionals. It was just politics. It was election year, and the commissioner didn't appreciate us taking the shine off his inexorable climb to the top."

"So what did you do?"

"I called Hego, of course. He and Mego came pretty quick, but he wouldn't go against his word to the Mayor. He said we should let the police do their job."

Shego's voice was bitter. Retelling the story reminded her of Hego's betrayal. Resentment welled up inside her, and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself before carrying on.

"We hung around for about an hour, waiting to see what would happen. We offered our services to the Police, of course, but were told that SWAT had everything under control. Then the car arrived."

"We could have cleared out that bank in five minutes." She snarled. "We'd done it before."

The bitterness in her voice was like nothing Kim had ever heard before. Here was a woman she had known for three years, usually so brassy and confident, baring her soul. The emotions tugged at her heartstrings, breaking through the self recrimination she had surrounded herself with. Sitting up, she placed a comforting arm around the older woman's shoulders, feeling them shake as a suppressed sob convulsed her body.

Regaining control once more, Shego's tone dropped back to more normal levels.

"Mego would sneak in unseen, disarm any bombs and once or twice, even unloaded the kidnappers guns without them even knowing. Then, while Hego rattled the front door, and roared outside, I would sneak in from the roof. Once I was in position, Hego would burst in from the front, I would attack from the rear, and Mego would suddenly appear right in their midst. It never failed."

"What happened?" Kim prompted when Shego hesitated. Hearing details about Shego's life as a hero fascinated her, it was a very different experience from her own. She had never had to deal with resentment over her work, everyone always seemed pleased to see her.

"They had demanded a car, which the police delivered. I guess they wanted to get them out of the bank and away from the hostages. Whatever their logic, it didn't go to plan. Sure, the gang broke cover, but they brought their hostages with them. In the confusion, something happened, I never did find out what. A shot rang out, and all hell broke loose."

Shego buried her head in her hands once more, struggling to overcome the latest wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. Even after all these years, the hurt was still raw. A wound she had covered up for so long, now suddenly being reopened as long suppressed memories were revisited. Swallowing hard, it took several moments to get her voice back under control while Kim could only look on.

"When it was finally all over, three of the gang had escaped, leaving two others lying on the floor." Shego raised her head and took a deep breath. "I found Megan unconscious, with a bullet wound in her stomach. She died in the ambulance on the way to hospital."

She turned, meeting Kim's gaze with a haunted expression, but her voice deepened as she relived the fury that had consumed her.

"The next day, I started to hunt them down. Two handed themselves into the cops as soon as they heard I was after them, but I found the third in a motel off the Interstate."

Her eyes gleaming with malice, Shego's hands curled subconsciously into fists. The slightest flicker of green flame displaying the strength of feeling rushing through her body.

"I caught him in the middle of a drug deal. He pulled a gun, and I blasted him. Hit him with everything I had." Kim's face paled as she recalled the shattered tree trunk that lay as testimony to the destructive power in this woman's hands.

"I just walked out and left him there." Shego was barely aware of feeling Kim's arm momentarily pull away from her shoulder. She was staring into space, her voice a monotone as the memories flooded back.

"Of course it didn't take long for the police to catch up with me, it was pretty obvious what he had died of. In any case, I didn't go far." Her body twitched as awareness returned. She looked over her shoulder at Kim and gave a wry smile.

"Only the melted gun in his hand saved me from a jail cell. The DA dismissed it as a simple case of self defense."

Kim's hand squeezed the shoulder it was resting on as a reflex action. Every nuance of Shego's voice, her body language, even the haunted look in her eyes radiated regret.

Shego returned the gaze, looking for any sign of understanding at what had been left unsaid, but all she could see was sympathy.

"There was nothing else you could have done." Kim began, "You had no other choice."

"Exactly."

Kim blinked at the sudden change in tone in Shego's voice. Where before, there had been regret and supressed pain, now there was nothing but intensity.

"I did what I had to do." Shego pressed the point, determined to make Kim understand. "Just as you had to when you knocked out Bob."

Kim began shaking her head, seeing where Shego was taking the conversation, but the thief wasn't paying attention.

"In that situation, what else could you have done?"

Shego turned to face the teen, seeing the denial in her face. She put a hand on each of Kim's shoulders and barely restrained herself from giving the spoilt brat a good shake.

"You took him down. Probably a lot less painfully than I would have done in your position."

"yes, but ..." Kim tried to interject, but Shego wasn't having any of it.

"You did what you have always done, confronted the villain and saved the day. It's not your fault Dr D went and blew the place up."

"I shouldn't have even been there." Kim finally got a chance to speak, her voice small and muted. "I should have left it to the professionals. I've been running around doing my thing, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong."

Shego rolled her eyes. "Oh for crying out loud, will you listen to yourself?" This time she did give the teenager a little shake. Just enough to break Kim's self-pitying funk, and to get her attention.

"And why did those professionals happily let you get away with what you've been doing for the past three years huh?" She was one frayed nerve away from slapping some sense into the fool.

"Because you did things they couldn't." Letting her hands drop to her side, Shego gritted her teeth as the compliment grated on her ego.

"You're the best. You do things no-one else can. That's why you do the things you do, and why you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened."

Grabbing Kim's chin, Shego pulled her head round until they made eye contact.

"If it's any help, just consider what would have happened if a bunch of Global Justice goons had turned up. It would have been a bloodbath."

Kim didn't say anything for a while, didn't even move when Shego let go of her at last. The older woman's words gave her something to think about, but it conflicted with the guilt she was still feeling. Eventually she stood up and walked over to the house. Just before going inside, she turned and spoke.

"Even if what you say is true, it doesn't bring him back. It doesn't take away the feelings inside."

Shego watched as the girl disappeared into the house.

"Nothing ever does Pumpkin." she whispered. The memories she had relived in the past few minutes had shaken her more than she had anticipated. For years she had built up a shell around her soul to protect herself from the terrible loss she had felt, but recounting it all to Kim had opened cracks in her facade. The knowledge of what had really happened made her feel physically sick.

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_Larry's Motel 6 years ago  
The door burst open, causing the two men to jump apart guiltily, one still holding the small paper wrap he had just paid $20 for._

_"Shego!" The man who hadn't spoken looked aghast at his partner in crime, backing away as the figure entered the room._

_"Leave." She only said one word, but he didn't hesitate. Scrambling his way out of the room, he ran for his life._

_The remaining man swallowed nervously._

_"OK Shego, you got me. I aint stupid enough to fight you that's for sure."_

_The woman didn't say a word, but relentlessly stalked him around the room, as he backed away from her approach._

_"Look, I'll come quietly OK?" He held his arms up in the universal signal of surrender._

_Shego never said a word. She just kept walking until she was only a few inches away from her quarry._

_"Look, I ..." He never got to finish his sentance before her fist smashed into his face, knocking him over the single bed and rolling on the floor on the other side._

_The pain was excruciating and he instinctively put his hand to his face. He felt the bone grate as a fresh wave of agony caused him to jerk his hand away, blood dripping down his face._

_"You broke my nose!" He squealed. He managed to get himself up onto his knees before the superheroine leapt over the bed and landed just in front of his bleeding face._

_Looking up accusingly, he totally failed to understand the situation he was in._

_"I'm gonna sue you for that you bitch."_

_A gloved hand grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to his feet. Finding himself eye to eye with a very angry woman, he suddenly realised she hadn't finished with him yet._

_Twisting her body, she used the momentum to hurl him into the wall, a sickening thud where his head smashed into the thin dividing wall. Once more he fell to the floor, this time with blood pouring from a wound on his forehead._

_"Alright, alright, I get that you're pissed. Just make it quick OK?"_

_His voice trailed away at the last, as he watched this implacable figure slowly walk towards him. He watched in horror as green flame erupted from her right hand and looked up into the face of death._

_"Oh believe me. This is going to be anything but quick." The menace in her voice finally convinced him that she had no intention of handing him over to the police._

_Whimpering with fear, he pushed himself to his feet. Using the wall to prop himself up, he staggered backwards desperately seeking to put distance between himself and this psycho._

_Shego wasn't in any hurry. She didn't really know what she was going to do, but she did know that she was going to hurt him, and badly. Her fury was unsettling, the urge to inflict pain distracting her from what her prey was doing._

_Feeling the sideboard bang into his legs, he reached back and felt the comforting hard metal of his gun. Spinning as quickly as he could, he snatched it up, and turned back to face his tormentor. His arm swung up, his finger squeezing the trigger but he was already too late._

_Just in time, Shego had noticed what he was up to. As soon as he began to move, she hurled herself into a forward roll. As the gun began it's lethal swing, she was already underneath it._

_Before he could realise what was happening, Shego rolled onto her feet and launched herself upwards, one arm knocking the gun up over her head, while the other reached out and grabbed his face._

_The shot rang out, the bullet punching its way harmlessly through the ceiling, but the effect on Shego was electric. The sound of the gunshot brought back too raw memories of the recent past. A red mist descended on her as her hands burst into their trademark green glow._

_Leaning forward, she used her weight to bend the man back over the sideboard, his screams muffled by the hand she had clamped over his mouth and nose. The smell of burning flesh permeating the room as her fire burned hotter and hotter._

_Skin beneath her touch started to blister and then turn black, the gun melted slightly, molten plastic and metal causing even more damage but she didn't notice. All she could see was the face of the man who had killed her friend._

_The struggles ceased, but she still didn't let go. Only when the whole body was charred black did she finally relinquish her grip. As if suddenly becoming aware of what she had done, she flung the cadaver away from her, staggering back until she felt the wall at her back. Swallowing hard, she fumbled her way through the door, gulping down the fresh air as she made her way outside. She made no attempt to escape, but made her way to a bench where she remained until the police cruiser summoned by the motel manager arrived._

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The trip to the main island was a subdued affair, neither woman wanting to open fresh wounds by probing too deeply into the raw emotions so recently exposed.

However, there was one question that gnawed at Kim's curiosity. Something that she had been wondering about for years. Finally, about twenty minutes into the journey, she finally cracked and turned to face Shego as she conned the yacht.

"So was that what finally made you leave Team Go for good?"

The question hung in the air. If she could, Kim would have taken back the words she had just blurted out, but suprisingly, Shego didn't take offence. Instead she gave a wry chuckle.

"Not quite Kimmie, there was one more twist to the tale." Her face took on a familar sardonic sneer, as she peered towards the horizon.

"When I got back, I was met by Hego, who had managed to get a copy of the coroner's report. It turned out that the fatal bullet had been fired from a city police weapon."

Kim stared at her nonplussed, the former thief's hard shell appeared to be in place once more, the previous emotional display just a memory as she related the ironic conclusion to her story.

"I just turned round and walked away." Shego's voice was expressionless, nonchalant even as she made slight adjustments to their course. "I travelled a bit, spent some time with a few people, then one day I ran into Dr D." Looking over at the redheaded teen, she gave a quick grin. "The rest, you know."

Kim turned away, unsure of what to make of this final revelation and Shego didn't press the matter, happy to focus on steering the yacht.

There was little conversation between the two women as they docked, each caught up in her own thoughts as they secured the boat and headed away from the dock. The bustle of the port swiftly gave way to a more subdued atmosphere as they headed up towards the main commercial sector.

Shego was so wrapped in her own musings that it took a while before her innate sense of danger finally drew her attention to something her sub-conscious had been aware of for some time. Eventually however, the nagging feeling that something wasn't right finally caught her attention and she stopped abruptly, jolting Kim out of her own reverie. Picking up on Shego's sudden alertness, she too looked up, as her own perceptions registered that something was awry.

"Is it me, or is it even more quiet than usual?" Kim's voice sounded unnaturally loud in the silence.

"Too quiet." Shego agreed, looking right and left as she sought to identify the threat her senses were now screaming about.

"Come on." She grabbed Kim's arm and began to walk, her pace quickening as she continued to look around her. The problem became all to apparent as her peripheral vision tracked movement in the alleyways running parallel to the one they were in. They were being followed.

Not only that, but they were outflanked too. Glancing to her side, to see if Kim was aware of the problem, Shego cursed as she registered the unhealthy pallor of her companion. Beads of persperation were actually visible on Kim's forehead, and her breathing had become erratic.

"What's wrong with you?" Shego hissed, yanking on the younger girl's arm, all the while maintaining a steady brisk walking speed as she sought to shake her pursuers.

"I..I'm OK" Kim's reply didn't convince herself let alone her companion. She swallowed as an all too familiar feeling of apprehension prickled in her mind. Not so long ago, the adrenalin would be pumping and she would be raring for action, now it just gave her the shakes.

Brushing the sweat from her brow, she was almost jerked off her feet as she failed to keep up with the faster pace Shego was setting. Stumbling slightly as she caught up, she glanced wildly about looking for an avenue for escape.

"Maybe we should head back to the boat?" her voice quavering slightly under the stress she was feeling.

"Too late, they're behind us." Shego's face was grim as she considered and discarded various possible alternatives. The only option she could see was to take them head on, and she hoped Kim was up to the challenge.

Kim's wild eyed stare told Shego all she needed to know, and it wasn't good.

"Just great" she muttered to herself, no longer looking for a place to confront her enemies. Her one priority now was to get Kim safe. At least without the traumatised teen, she would only have to worry about her own safety.

Seeing an opportunity, she ducked through an archway, dragging the unresponsive Kim Possible behind her. For a brief moment, they were obscured from the people who were following them. Giving Kim another quick look, Shego made a snap decision.

"Come on, get in here."

"What?" Kim barely had time to register her surroundings before she found herself swept off her feet. Shego spun round, using the momentum to lift the stunned teenager over the lip of an industrial waste disposal unit. She wasn't quite tall enough to clear the edge of the bin, and Kim found herself unceremoniously tossed into the container before she could even react.

"Gaak" Her initial cry of surprise snuffed out by Shego's voice. "Keep your head down and keep quiet. I'll lead them away, you make your way back to the boat."

It was the last Kim heard before Shego dropped the bin lid shut, enclosing the bewildered teen in darkness. She lay there for a moment, disorientated by the sudden change in circumstance. Then she heard the explosions, the muffled thump thump that spoke of green fire. She had heard it often enough to recognised the distinctive sound even when distorted by distance and the metal container she was now in.

Her initial reaction to her current circumstances was one of outrage. What did Shego think she was doing, dumping her in this garbage can. But before she could do more than sit up in the low scattering of discarded boxes and packaging that covered the floor, the fear returned, and she suddenly felt much safer hidden in the dark while the sounds of the skirmish echoed around her.

"Anyway" she told herself. "If I try to climb out now, I'll just find myself trapped, surrounded by whoever it is out there." It sounded thin even to her, but it was enough to convince her to lie low and wait for things to die down, despite the guilt she felt of leaving Shego alone to face their attackers.

The sounds faded, shouts in the distance gradually moving away from her position as Shego's diversionary tactics had their desired effect, when suddenly, she heard running feet approaching. They never slowed down as whoever it was ran past, desperately seeking to catch up with their quarry.

"Schnell, Schnell." The gutteral east european voice giving the hidden girl some idea of what they were up against.

"Dr Dementor." she mused, "Shego wont have any problem dealing with him." The conscious thought was swiftly followed by another. "It should be you out there." She felt her face burn as shame swept over her, and she was glad of the pitch blackness that covered her embarrassment. Even so, it took several moments before she could bring herself to move.

As the sounds of running feet faded, Kim gradually became aware of her own situation. Cowering in a trash can while her erstwhile enemy fought her battles for her. The smell too was becoming noticeable. Although the garbage had recently been removed, there was a lingering odour that was rapidly becoming unbearable.

"Come on Kim, time to go." she urged herself, somewhat reluctant to leave the illusory safety of the bin. She shifted her position ready to climb out into the fresh air, when she heard more footsteps.

"Slow down, no rush." The more familiar American accent did nothing to calm Kim's nerves as she froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she heard several men approach her position.

"Let Dementor and his goons wear her out."

"But the Boss wants her alive, what if they kill her?" The new voice sounded younger, more intense, and very nervous.

"Ha!" The first speaker scoffed at the suggestion. "Not a chance. Herr Doktor might have delusions of his own abilities, but I've seen her fight before, she's got nothing to worry about."

While most of the footsteps carried on past her hiding place, the two speakers stopped right next to the container where Kim was practically holding her breath in an attempt to avoid discovery. The knowledge that only a thin metal wall separated her from these people paralysed her with fear, as images of the lid being flung back and them dragging her out of her hiding place flooded her mind. Unaware of the terrified girl hiding mere inches away from them, the two speakers stopped and resumed their conversation.

"Look." The older speaker continued, "The boss wants her alive, and that will be a lot easier when she's finished taking out Dementor's squad. We just keep her contained, and drive her towards the ambush site, See?"

"What's the boss want with her anyway?" The younger voice seemed calmer having been reassured by his more senior companion. "Isn't she on our side?"

"Dunno. But I heard that its not psycho bitch woman he wants." The voice dropped to a conspirital whisper but Kim had no trouble hearing what was said they were so close.

"I heard it's that witch Possible he's really after. Apparently, Shego knows where she's hiding."

Kim listened in horror as the two speakers finally set off after their friends. From what she had heard, at least seven or eight people had been in the second group, and apparently there were others out there too. Shego was walking into a trap.

Her hand trembled as she pushed up the lid of the bin, just a fraction of an inch allowing her to peer out. Everywhere seemed quiet, so she pulled herself out, back into the fresh air. The metal lid clanged alarmingly as she dropped it back into place, but it appeared that the tightening ring closing in on Shego had passed her by. Feeling vulnerable and exposed now she had left her refuge, she wondered what to do next.

"Make your way back to the boat." Shego's words echoed in her mind, and the idea of slipping away to safety had never seemed so tempting before. Only pride stopped her from following Shego's advice. Nervously she peered both ways down the alleyway she was in, looking down in alarm at her shaking hands as she wrestled with her decision.

"Pull yourself together Possible." Kim berated herself as she pushed down the rising tide of panic threatening to overwhelm her, and headed off after the mystery men.

Shego's progress was easy to follow, scorched stonework and shattered containers showed where she had made her diversion, creating enough noise to both suck in her pursuers, and hopefully conceal the fact that she was alone.

Kim got the fright of her life twenty yards further on, as she rounded a corner and nearly tripped over a prone body. Once her heart returned to its rightful place, she squatted down and checked for a pulse.

The man was still alive, but out cold. The fear was back now, and she was finding it ever more difficult not to turn and run. Kim stood up and proceded to follow the trail of destruction left behind by Shego's passage, but every step raised her panic level that little bit higher.

Then she heard the explosion.

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At first, Shego had been concerned that her diversion wouldn't work, that her pursuers would see through the ruse and drag Kim screaming from her hiding place. The frenzied shouting and heedless charging into danger exhibited by her foes soon put her mind to rest, however. The two nearest pursuers were dispatched quickly and efficiently, her task now was to draw the others away, until she was ready to turn and face them.

"Achtung!" The cry echoed through the narrow street, causing the thief to roll her eyes at the cliche. "Dementor, I should have known," Throwing a few more plasma blasts at walls and some boxes that were in the alleyway she had just exited she turned and ran, looking to put some distance between herself and Kim before she dealt with that annoying nutjob once and for all.

Ten minutes later, and she had had enough. She had even had to stop once, so that they didn't lose sight of her, eventually shooting a bolt of plasma just above one of their heads as they wondered where she had gone. Finally, she rounded a corner and decided that she had gone far enough.

She waited as the pounding feet announced the approach of her prey. The first henchman ran around the corner, only to find his quarry waiting for him. With a crisp twist of her hip, Shego's leg flicked out, the ball of her foot striking the hapless goon right above the temple. He dropped like a stone, his grunt of surprise snuffed out as he lost consciousness even before he hit the ground.

The next man was close behind, too focused on catching up with this elusive woman to notice the body lying across the street before he tripped right over it. He too took a foot to the face, this time a more conventional kick in the jaw, swiftly followed by a fist leaving him dazed and bleeding, still lying on his comatose companion.

"Too easy," she muttered, but the next group to arrive were more cautious. Three men slowed as they finally caught up with their target. Showing more initiative than the first two fools, these men spread themselves out as much as they could in the narrow confines of the street.

Shego's eyes flicked between the three of them, her assessment reached within a fraction of a second, she made her decision and moved. A feint towards the centre drew in both flanking attackers before the ruse was revealed. By spinning away to the left, two of her opponents found themselves getting in each others way, leaving the third isolated and vulnerable.

Pushing off from her back leg, her fist flashed out targetting the eyes of her intended victim. Instinctively he reacted by leaning back, protecting his vulnerable face, but the effect was a shift in his balance, taking the weight off his leading leg, which was what Shego had been aiming for.

Luck smiled on her as his stance narrowed, allowing her front leg to hook forward, catching his rear ankle and scooping it off the ground. This in turn swept his other leg out from under him causing him to flip in mid air, as her fist slammed down into his jaw.

Barely pausing to catch her balance, she used her momentum go complete the turn, flicking up her left leg just as her right regained purchase on the rough ground. Snapping back behind her, it caught the second man just under the ribs, slipping under the elbow of the arm that was supposed to protect him. She heard the crack as the bone fractured under the concussive force, the only reaction a whimper as the man collapsed in agonising pain. Snapping the extended leg back before it could be used against her, she finally completed her spin, once more facing the direction she had started in, but now only facing one opponent.

This last man, however, had had a chance to see what he was up against. He knew he couldn't win with the current odds, but he also knew he didn't have to. He pressed just close enough to keep this dangerous woman engaged, but never committed himself to an attack, aware that any opportunity he gave for a counter-attack would lead to his swift defeat.

Shego narrowed her eyes as she analysed her opponent's strategy. She knew he was outclassed, but he was good enough to know this himself, which made him dangerous. She also knew the rest of Dementor's gang were approaching fast, she had to end this now.

There was nothing else for it, she had to attack, and she didn't waste any time. Her feet shuffled forward, narrowing the gap between them considerably, despite the man's attempt to back away from her. Fists flicked out, right, then a left followed by another right, disrupting her enemy's composure and drawing his attention away from her feet. Finally, she launched her true attack, her leading foot shot forward, whistling past his right ear, then hooking back, the toes extended as she sought to catch in on the reverse flick.

It missed by fractions of an inch, he actually felt the wind on his cheek as the foot swept past his face. His eyes gleamed as he saw his tormentor struggle to maintain her balance. She had over extended by a mere inch or two, but her supporting leg bent in an attempt to maintain her posture, and he saw his chance. He launched himself forward, his fist reaching out towards the now vulnerable woman.

Time slowed as he saw victory in his grasp. Their eyes met, his own victorious gleam suddenly matched by a satisfied smirk. His arm was extended, his whole body committed to the strike, when impossibly, the leg that had just been struggling to maintain balance, effortlessly straightened, the other leg that moments before had been flailing ineffectually, snapped back. He could only watch in horror as the foot approached, toes pulled back allowing the ball of the foot to strike him perfectly, a quarter inch below the breast bone.

Shego grinned when she heard the oooph as air was forceably expelled from his lungs. Her balance restored from the fake stance she had suckered him with, she pulled back and landed in a perfect fighting stance. Her satisfaction was short lived, however, the fight had taken too long. As the rest of Dementor's men finally caught up with her, she had no choice but to stand and face them.

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Instinctively Kim flattened herself against the wall of the alleyway, before she realised that the noise that had frightened her so much was some distance away. Breathing heavily, she sank to her haunches as she tried to regain control of her racing pulse. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to block out the sudden image of herself dangling from Drakken's flying machine while flying debris from the exploded factory whizzed past her. Pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes she battled the paralysing fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

"You're the best. You do things no-one else can." Shego's words from this morning echoed in her mind. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and pushed herself up using the wall as a support. "You're the best. You're the best." she repeated the mantra over and over in her mind as she waited for the fear to subside. Taking a few more deep breaths, she closed her eyes as she sought to muster up enough courage to carry on, when she heard the second explosion. This wasn't plasma, it had the distinctive sound of high explosive. Once more panic threatened to overwhelm her and her head turned away from the conflict, seeking the safety of the harbour.

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Shego cursed as the press of bodies forced her to take another step back, she had already taken too many of those. Eventually they were going to force her out into the open where the vast discrepancy between numbers would have a decisive effect on the battle.

What had started as an amusing light workout against a scattered and inferior foe, had turned into a toe to toe slugging match where, if nothing else, weight of numbers would be the decisive factor. The enemy had changed as well. No longer unarmed thugs, these were more disciplined, and wielding some kind of pain baton. It made the fight almost even.

She did have one advantage, however. She wasn't constrained by the danger of hitting an ally, something she had already used to advantage twice before. Gritting her teeth, she twisted and turned, avoiding most of the blows raining down on her, and blocking those she couldn't evade. Her shoulders ached where the occasional glancing blow had got through, and her lungs were beginning to burn under the prolonged effort they were being put through.

Seeing an opening, a green flaming fist flashed out, grabbing the shirt of one of her attackers, pulling him off balance and into the path of his friend's strike. A strangled scream cut off as he lost consciousness when one of the batons slammed into his back, but as he fell, Shego had to step back or risk tripping over the now prone body. Grimly she watched as another man stepped forward to taken the place of the fallen. Mind racing as she sought a way out of the situation she found herself in, she braced herself as the remaining men stepped over their comrade's body and resumed their attack.

She never knew what made her look up, it was a move she didn't really have time for, and cost her another jolt of agony as she didn't quite duck in time to avoid the strike launched while her attention was distracted. The alley was particularly narrow here, and in shadow as the tall buildings on either side loomed over the street. This didn't prevent her from seeing movement on the rooftops, and she knew she was outflanked.

Trusting her instincts, Shego sprang back from the fight, leaving the front row of the attackers to stagger slightly as they suddenly faced no resistance while being pushed on by the people behind. Hurling herself into backward somersault, she almost managed to avoid the great net as it floated down into the space she had just occupied. Her attackers were not so fortunate. The front two ranks were engulfed and knocked to the ground as heavy weights attached to the ropes dragged them down. Even Shego was snagged by several of the hooks sewn into the net and it cost her precious seconds to untangle herself. With a quick glance at the struggling men, she turned and ran down the alleyway, seeking a way out.

As she reached the end, where it opened out into one of the many squares scattered throughout the town, she saw there was nowhere left to go. Rank upon rank of uniformed men stood waiting for her. At least fifty of them, all holding the now all too familiar glowing batons, she skidded to a halt, while she considered her options.

Leaving the alleyway would lead her to being surrounded, and she only had a few minutes before her previous attackers freed themselves from the net and attacked her from behind. Seeing no other option, she kicked off her shoes, and began to climb the rough brickwork wall of the nearest building.

Wishing desperately that she had worn her usual catsuit instead of this sarong, her strong fingers gripped the stonework, aided by her clawlike nails, as she swiftly made her way up the outside wall. She could only hope that there was noone at the top waiting for her, but she couldn't help smiling as she heard the cries of alarm as she made good her escape.

She never saw the flying projectile. Never heard it's rocket engine. Never even heard the explosion as it hit the wall just to her right. Instead, the shockwave blasted her off the building, leaving her to fall down into the open space below while being showered with falling masonry. The men nearest to her also got caught in the blast, giving her time to shake her head to clear the concussion, and to pick herself up off the floor. She must have hurt her foot in the fall, limping noticeably as she tried to escape the ambush. To make matters worse, she once more felt the early symptoms of a headache.

The pounding sounds of feet on stone alerted her to the first wave of attackers closing in. Turning she launched a salvo of green fire, picking off her pursuers before they could close down the distance. She headed for one of the streets leading out of the square, turning once more to fend off the relentless pursuit, using her ability to engage foes at range to great effect. If she could just get away from this trap she would be OK.

The second explosion came just as she passed the last building before the edge of the square. Once more she was showered with falling debris, a particularly large piece striking her on the shoulder and knocking her to the ground. Her aching body struggled to regain its footing. She just had time to push herself up on her hands and knees when she felt an agonising pain shooting through her body, as one of the pain sticks was driven into her back.

Collapsing to the floor, she tried to push herself up, but was slammed back down again by another jolt of agony from the weapon wielded by the man above her. More feet came running up, and before she could even register their arrival, she found herself assaulted on all sides as her captors took out their frustrations on her unresisting body.

For what felt like hours, but was actually less than a minute, blows rained down on her. Unable to focus on anything other than protecting her head and ribs, she rolled on the floor looking for respite that never came. Eventually, her tormentors stepped back, except for one who stood over her, baton held at the ready to strike if she even hinted at being able to retaliate.

"Stay down bitch." The rough voice held no hint of pity, just satisfaction of a job well done. "The boss wants to have a word."

"Fuck you!" Shego's reply lacked strength as she battled both the residual agony from the beating she had just taken, as well as the rapidly building pain in her head.

"Don't you worry, we'll get to that later." The voice gloated, sending an involuntary shiver down Shego's back. Unable to concentrate, she steeled herself against the pain in her arms and legs, all the while the throbbing ache in her head was getting worse. Squeezing her eyes shut against the pain, she heard another set of booted feet approaching.

Forcing her eyes open, initially she could just see the plain black leather boots with brown trousers tucked inside them. Letting her head loll to one side, she looked up to see the gloating face of Dr Dementor looking down at her.

"Nyah HA!" he gloated, his eyes gleaming with malice as he looked down on the woman he blamed for his own downfall. "At last the mighty Shego is where she belongs." Shego closed her eyes and didn't bother to listen to the rest. After four years working with Drakken, she found blocking out meaningless drivel almost second nature. Instead she concentrated on trying to block out the rising pain in her head.

Dr Dementor didn't scare her, although she did wonder where he got the manpower from. She knew he would lock her up in some improbably complex death trap then totally fail to monitor her progress as she escaped. These Mad Scientists were all the same, so predictable.

Her attention was drawn to a new sound, however, a measured tread as someone else approached. Opening her eyes, she saw another pair of gleaming black boots.

"... and you and your turncoat employer will die horribly! ah HA HA HA HA" Dementor's tirade degenerated into a cackle of hysterical laughter.

"Not so fast Herr Doktor." The new voice was cultured and refined. It spoke softly but there was a barely concealed menace behind the words. Shego froze, not quite believing Dementor was so insane as to consort with this psycho. This whole situation was rapidly getting out of hand

"There are a few questions I would like to ask the young lady before we conclude our arrangement."

Two men grabbed Shego's arms and dragged her to her feet. She felt the butt of one of the pain sticks jammed into her side, the message clear, don't even think about causing trouble. Unable to suppress the wince of pain at this rough treatment, she forced herself to lift her head high, and look directly into the one-eyed glare of the leader of the Worldwide Evil Empire.

Shego forced a smile on her face. "Gemini, If I had known you wanted to speak to me I would have come sooner."

"LIAR!" The hand flashed out, striking her hard on the right cheek. The big man's features contorted into a demonic visage at the perceived insult. The rage vanished as quickly as it had arrived, however, and his face resumed its composed state as he spoke as if nothing had happened.

"You have some information that I need, and now you're going to tell me."

Shego's tongue licked the blood from her newly split lip and played for time. Her leg was aching and the throbbing pain in her head was getting worse, but what concerned her most was how they had found her.

"If the price is right, I'm sure we can come to some arrangement." She had never had much to do with WEE, they were too fanatical, too regimented, and their leader was a grade A whackjob who gave evil supervillains a bad name. He was also highly unstable and that made him dangerous.

"All I want to know is where Miss Possible is." Gemini's voice was conciliatory, she could almost believe that he regretted having to talk to her this way as he explained what he was after.

Shego's neck twitched at this surprising development. "How the hell should I know?" Her reply a fraction of a second too late to sound totally convincing. Her interrogator's smile told her he didn't believe her.

"Oh we know all about the two of you." Gemini's voice silkily insidious and menacing. From a pocket, he pulled out some electrical device and flicked a switch.

"Don't let go." Even through the somewhat metallic speaker of the recorder, Kim's panic was obvious.

"Its OK Pumpkin, I've got you." Shego's eyes flicked from the machine to Gemini and back again, her tongue running across suddenly dry lips. The memory of that strange recording device she had run across in Kim's garden when slipping into the Possible household coming back to haunt her.

"How touching." Gemini flicked off the device and slipped it back into his pocket. "Teen crime fighter and her secret criminal lover." His good eye drilled into Shego's gaze as a thin smile hovered on his lips. "I'm sure Dr Drakken would be most interested to hear what you get up to when not mocking his half-baked plans."

Shego stared wide-eyed at him for a moment before the penny dropped.

"WHAT? You've got to be kidding me, No way!" She winced as the volume of her own voice sent a stabbing pain throught her head. The ludicrousness of the accusation too ridiculous to comprehend. A comforting thought crossed her mind and she took great pleasure in bursting this psycho's bubble. "Dr D would never believe it anyway."

Gemini looked away for a while as if considering his position. "Hmm, maybe not" he conceded "but I'm sure there are plenty of others who would find it fascinating." He looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "Or others who would pay any price to ensure no-one ever hears it?"

Shego swallowed as the implication struck home. Any chance of rescuing her reputation would be ruined if Gemini's scurrilous lies spread through the underworld community. She knew how rapidly rumours would be exaggerated until everyone took the attitude there's no smoke without fire.

Her eyes squeezed shut as her headache returned with a vengence. She struggled to concentrate as she weighed professional suicide with simply handing Kim over to Gemini's tender mercies. As she shifted in her captors grasp, she gasped as a brief jolt of pain shot through her thigh, a caution from the men holding her. Her head was hurting so badly now, that all the other aches and bruises paled into insignificance. Unable to move her arms without the WEE operatives zapping her with their pain batons, she had no choice but to tough it out.

"I have to admit. " Gemini continued, "you caused me an awful lot of trouble spiriting her away like you did. Just when we were all set to move too. Getting the press to cover your tracks was inspired."

Shego let the misapprehension stand, she certainly wasn't going to point out that she had nothing to do with the media intervention in Kim's life, not when it was the only card she had left to play.

"We almost lost you. Only certain ... contacts shall we say in HenchCo allowed me to pick up your trail."

Shego never understood the need by the criminal fraternity to explain their plans to their captives, it didn't make sense to her. Still, it gave her time to come up with a plan of escape. If only her head weren't pounding so much.

She was also relieved to know that Hench hadn't sold her out. It was debatable as to whether WEE or HenchCo was the bigger organization, but at least she knew only one villainous global network was after her blood. In fact, it was likely that if she could find a way out of this mess, Hench would owe her a favour for exposing WEE's infiltration into his corporation, and a favour from Jack Hench was coinage that could be cashed in anywhere in the world. Of course this was all dependant on her escape from the clutches for a psychotic lunatic with a propensity to mindless violence.

"Come now Shego, it's very simple. All I want is Kim Possible and you can go free." Gemini's patience had worn thin. Dr Dementor made to protest at this, but was silenced by a wave of a metal gauntletted hand.

Shego struggled to maintain focus, her head felt as if it were about to explode. An involuntary groan escaped her lips as a wave of agony rippled through her brain.

Gemini leaned forward as his captive's head lolled to one side. He didn't know what was causing the woman so much pain, but he could see it in her eyes and it suited his purpose very well. Her skin was paler than usual, and beads of sweat were glistening on her forehead.

"What do you say. Do we have a deal."

Shego slumped in the arms of her captors, her hair falling over her face as her head drooped. Gemini leaned forward to catch what she had to say, as her head slowly lifted, letting him look right into her eyes.

"Screw You!" She spat into his good eye with what little saliva she could muster. As Gemini reeled back, his men were stunned, caught by surprise by this chain of events.

Feeling their grasp of her arms slacken, Shego twisted her hip while yanking one arm across her chest. It caught the guard on her right completely by surprised and he lost his footing.

She didn't have time to savour her success, however, before an agonising pain lanced through her leg, as the other guard, more alert than his hapless companion, jammed his baton into her back. She arched back in pain, as her knees gave way, just managing to catch herself on her arms as she fell to the floor.

"Bitch!" The two guards started to beat her with their sticks. Not even using the pain generating abilities, but just old fashioned kinetic energy. Shego covered her head with her arms until they grew tired, her arms and sides battered and bruised she lay still for a while as the pain subsided. Shego didn't care. Not only had the blinding headache gone, there was not even the low throbbing dull ache she had been suffering for the past few weeks. The lack of pain was like a cooling draught on a hot summers day and her hopes rose slightly that she would find a way out of this mess. Hopes that swiftly drained away as the heavy sound of boots on stone approached once more.

The men stood back as Gemini approached once more. His face was thunderous, outraged that this whore had humiliated him in front of his minions. Snatching a baton from the hands of the nearest guard, he turned it up to the maximum setting and rammed it into her chest.

Shego screamed as her whole body writhed in pain.

"YOU'LL DIE FOR THAT, WITCH!" Gemini roared as he manouvered to maintain contact as the helpless woman twisted under his assault.

"Herr Gemini, our agreement?" Dr Dementor tried to intervene, wanting to save that pleasure for himself. He soon wished he hadn't

Gemini whirled round to face the mad doctor.

"DON'T YOU DARE INTERRUPT ME AGAIN!"

His face was purple with passion as he swung the pain baton up between himself and the rapidly cringing Dementor. Turning back to Shego, he saw her struggling to push herself up on her hands and knees.

"I DIDN'T TELL YOU TO MOVE."

He raised his baton high over his head, ready to bring it crashing down on her head, when he suddenly stopped. Shego looked up in time to see his eyes squeeze shut, and a vein throbbed in his temple as he fought to regain control of himself.

"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!"

Shego and Dementor stared at the WEE leader as he spun on his heel and roared at an apparently empty section of the square. Even his men shared worried glances as their chief exhibited all the signs of being completely insane.

"I AM GEMINI. Founder of the Worldwide Empire of Evil." His voice slowly resumed its usual tone as he gradually gained control of himself. He pointed the baton at a position some distance to his left, as if addressing someone. "I will not be ordered around like some lackey."

Shego and Dementor shared a worried glance as they both wondered what the hell was going on, but Gemini turned back to face the prone thief once more, apparently intent on his original aim.

"But you are right." He still appeared to be addressing some unseen observer. "First we must find the girl."

He walked forward, as Shego found herself dragged to her feet once more. "For the last time Shego, where is Kim Possible?"

Shego braced herself for the impending assault, opening her mouth to fire off one last sarcastic comment, but someone else answered for her.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"


	13. Ch 12 Fight or Flight

The watcher looked on dispassionately as the puppet ranted and raged. If this was the best that was available, well lets just say he wasn't impressed. The pathetic creature was all but frothing at the mouth in fury as its puny mind struggled to accept the commands placed upon it. Still, if events went to plan, he wouldn't be limited to using intermediaries for much longer.

Still, there was something to be said for weak-minded fools. Adauchi for example, with his superstitious gullibility, was proving especially useful, even if it did result in him having to suffer morons like the dribbling worm beside him. Lord Mikoboshi indeed, he was far greater than any god. The fact that their goals ran parallel for a while was a convenient coincidence that he intended to exploit to the full. Of course, when those aims diverged... He smirked at the thought.

It helped that from the day he had arrived, he had revelled in the freedom to act as he wished. Whatever powers watched over this realm must be sleeping, and he intended to take full advantage. Or could it be that there really were no higher powers, and all that stood between him and victory was a schoolgirl with nothing more that some impressive athletic abilities.

The smirk grew into a wide grin as he considered the number he had done on her. The fates had been smiling on him to strike her down with a crisis of confidence at the same time as his arrival, and just as she had been teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown, he gave her a shove and pushed her over it. Now, instead of working to thwart his goals, she was in hiding, protected by a cynical, selfish mercenary who would likely betray her for cash.

Manipulating these pitiful meat-sacks was Childs play. He simply lifted the very thoughts from out of their weak minds and chose his form appropriately. Therefore, this "Gemini" saw him as an aging round-faced woman with a hangdog expression and a soft-spoken voice. Every utterance designed to drive the unwitting fool to carry out his desires.

Of course, to everyone else, he didn't appear at all. Minimising his exposure limited the possibility of more powerful entities taking notice of his actions. Even though he wasn't aware of any, it paid to be careful. Plus it had the added amusement value of making Gemini's minions slowly come to the conclusion that their boss was stark raving mad. Something they had been well on the way to believing anyway.

Even as the interrogation progressed however, the watcher worked on multiple levels. Although most of its consciousness was focussed on the scene before it, a thread of awareness maintained its link with the real target and it was suddenly ringing all kinds of alarm bells.

Swiftly, the entity switched points of reference, quickly becoming aware of another presence within the teenagers mind. Angered, it decided to bring this farce to an end. The girl was already teetering on the edge of a complete nervous breakdown; it was time to push her over the edge.

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_The cold wind whipped loose strands of her hair around her face, chilling her hands as they hung on desperately to the rope that was her sanctuary. Above, lay salvation. She could see the black-gloved arm reaching out in a frantic attempt to save her. Below lay a long drop into oblivion, a fall she had experienced so many times before. The rope swung wildly in the wind, causing her grip to fail. Franticly, she clutched harder before she could slip further away from safety, but she knew she couldn't hold on for much longer. Looking up, she could see Shego's hand tantalizingly out of reach. Driven by fear of what lay below her, Kim threw caution to the wind and grabbed at the outstretched arm._

Strong fingers enclosed her hand in a tentative grip, before Shego finally managed to wrap her hand around the cheerleader's wrist. Looking up, Kim saw the smile of relief on her rescuer's face as she took the weight, confident in her ability to pull the younger woman to safety, but Kim knew what was coming next.

She fought the urge for as long as she could, but eventually, she had to look down, her eyes drawn irresistibly at the horror that lay far below. Sickly green mists swirled around where the ground should be, a dizzying vision of oblivion, ready to drag the redhead down if she should fall.

Gulping hard, she looked up once more, only to be greeted by the leering visage of a cadaver. The arm now holding her was skeletal, with only a few scraps of flesh and skin hanging off the bones. The face was heavily charred, with burned lips pulled back into a rictus grin. Choking back her nausea, Kim could feel her grip weaken as her fingers lost purchase on the thin bones, but she had been through this so many times before. She knew that what came next was worse.

Unable to help herself, she glanced once more down at the swirling maelstrom beneath her. Despite the terrifying vision below, however, she preferred it to what she knew she would be facing if she looked up.

She thought about just letting go, sparing herself the agony of facing that child's loss. She had done exactly that many times before. Unable to answer the accusing stare in the young girl's face as to why her father had died, she would let go of the hand she was holding, and hang from the rope until she could hold on no more. Dropping away from the manifestation of her guilt, she would fall towards the waiting mists until her senses managed to fight their way back to reality. But each time, the drop had been longer before she escaped the terrifying vision. Great plumes of fog reached up as if seeking to drag her down into the unknown, and she was really starting to fear what would happen if they were to finally get hold of her.

"She needs you."

The soft voice jerked her out of her reverie. Looking up, nothing had changed, the grinning skull still leered down at her, and she began to question whether she had really heard anything at all. The cadaver's decaying visage a silent accusation of her own vitality. It's bony fingers scratching her arm as they dug into her flesh.

"Shego?" Her voice quavered as her grip on the rope became ever more tenuous, her fingers turning numb as the strain of holding her weight on one arm began to take its toll. It didn't go unnoticed, however. The corpse, showing much more animation than usual, moved its head to regard her with a steady gaze. It's features twisting into a contemptuous sneer.

"She can't save you now! No-one can"

Its voice was hoarse and sibilant, sounding like dry leaves rustled by the wind. Its very sound sucked the hope and energy from the surrounding area, causing Kim to turn her head away in an attempt to evade its stare.

"That's right." The corpse gloated as it looked down on the stricken girl. "There's nothing left for you now!"

Kim's shoulders slumped as despair finally got the better of her. No longer clutching the bony arm, her weight was held only by her grip on the rope. Hopeless, and resigned to her fate, she closed her eyes and began to let go of her final lifeline.

"Let go." The voice was smoother now, cajoling and seductive, engulfing her in the promise of release from the emotional torment she had been enduring. "You don't need to suffer any more."

"Please! Don't listen"

The soft voice filled her head once more. The shock surprised her so much that her hand instinctively resumed its grip on the rope once more.

"Who are you?" She asked the question in her mind, shutting out the horrors around her, to focus on this last tenuous thread on which her sanity depended.

"A friend of a friend." The soft reply was almost lost as the noise of the wind rose in intensity.

"What are you waiting for? There's nothing left for you now." The dead man's voice intruded once more on her consciousness. The harsh tone had returned, frustrated by Kim's refusal to accept her fate.

"Nobody cares about you. Your mother, Ron, they washed their hands of you, leaving you in the care of your worst enemy, and now even she has given up on you. Just let go!"

The words wormed their way into her mind, cutting through the self-loathing and doubt. Penetrating deep into the core of her being where the spluttering spark of her fragile ego battled against the encroaching darkness of despair. Slowly, Kim slowly opened her eyes. Turning her head, she stared the corpse straight in the eye, no longer shrinking from the confrontation she had avoided for so long.

"You're lying."

Her voice sounded surprised, as if suddenly questioning a previously held assumption of truth. For weeks now, she had let these constructs in her mind convince herself of her own culpability for this man's death. She couldn't begin to guess to the levels of reprobation society felt for her self-appointed position as world policeman, but this corpse had repeatedly reminded her of the bad press she had been subjected to, leaving her in no doubt that as far as the public were concerned, she was no better than a vigilante.

All her own insecurities had been reinforced and exacerbated by the constant recriminations of her tormentor, and she had come to believe everything she was told by this manifestation of her own guilty feelings.

She had sealed away her soul in an impervious barricade of self-flagellation and guilt in an attempt to hide away from the outside world, unaware that the walls she had built for protection were slowly suffocating her. Now, for the first time, a crack of doubt had breached that impenetrable shell.

"Shego never gives up. Even when she's beaten, she never gives up."

What started as a trickle rapidly grew into a flood as Kim's belief in this one truism she knew to be true broke through the barriers she had built around herself. Awareness followed, as she realised that whatever was in her mind was not just a construct of her own psyche, but something alien.

The corpse looked at her, perplexed by the sudden conviction in her voice. After a moment, however, it's expression changed.

"Maybe not" it sneered, "but that won't help her now."

Kim felt a jolt of fear shoot through her mind. Whoever was behind this assault on her mind was also part of the group that had tried to ambush them. Shego had put herself at risk in order to protect Kim, and now it looked as if she had run into trouble. Just the thought of a situation that the ex thief couldn't handle made her blood run cold.

"I wouldn't be so sure, she might surprise you." Kim's defiance was only skin deep, if Shego couldn't save her, no one could. The thought of being alone terrified her.

"I'm here"

The soft voice infused her mind once more, quashing the rising tide of hysteria that threatened to overwhelm her. She wasn't alone. Even if she didn't know who her mystery companion was, just the thought that someone else was supporting her was enough to restore Kim's composure. Bolstered by the renewed surge in confidence, she once more faced her accuser.

"You've failed. None of this is real" her head moved to encompass the entire scenario she was in "and neither are you. You can't manipulate me any more."

"It doesn't matter." The corpse practically spat out its words. "She'll break soon, and then we'll hunt you down. There's nothing you can do about it."

For the first time in a long while, Kim's mouth curved into a feral smile.

"Oh, did you ever say that to the wrong person?"

Casting all her doubts and fears from her mind, she finally took the one step she had never been able to take before. She let go of the rope, and grabbed the outstretched bony arm with both hands.

"Anything's possible for a Possible."

The words were spoken through gritted teeth as she balked at the prospect of relying on decaying bones to support her weight, but the corpse was gone. In its place was a young woman, late teens or early twenties, desperately trying to support Kim's weight as the flying machine was buffeted by the wind.

Bewildered by this unexpected change in proceedings, Kim could only register the flowing red hair and exquisite features of her face, twisted in the exertion of trying to hold on to the suspended teenager.

"Please, hurry"

The woman's voice was tinged with panic, her grip loosening as she proved unable to hold on for any prolonged length of time. It was this urgency that finally broke through Kim's inertia.

Pulled forward by the weight, the mysterious woman was dragged forward until she was brought to a halt by the edge of the flying car with an audible "Ooofff", but Kim didn't waste time. Swinging one leg up, she managed to hook it over the metal runner bolted to the base of the car. Using that as a lever, she managed to pull herself into a position where she could now get her hand onto it as well. Releasing her grip, and losing sight of her rescuer for a moment as she secured herself properly, she reached up and grabbed the edge of the cockpit and began to pull herself to safety.

She only got half way before she was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and pulled into the flying machine where she fell to the floor with a thump.

"Took your damned time."

The sarcastic comment in the 'oh so familiar' voice caused her to heart to skip a beat as she looked up to see a pair of black and green boots.

"You gonna lie there all day or what?"

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Gemini ground his teeth with frustration as once more this female failed to acknowledge his superiority. The whole gender was capricious and untrustworthy. His sister was the first, but women had always failed to recognise his authority. Now this wench felt free to mock him in front of his men. Even his mother was taunting him.

Sure, his men pretended they couldn't see her. A couple of them had pointed out the fact that she had actually died a year ago, before he silenced them in his trademark fashion. The rest resorted to pretending to be unable to hear her. He would deal with them later.

Turning his attention back to Shego's battered form, he once again asked the question.

"Where is Kim Possible?"

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The entity reeled in shock as it was driven from Kim's mind by the force of her own conviction. Where had that come from? She had been ripe for a fall.

Taking stock, it remembered the other presence it had been able to vaguely sense, there had to be some connection. There had been no sense of real power behind it, but it had been enough to bring the Possible girl back from the brink. For the first time since it had arrived in this world, it felt the possibility of failure.

No longer able to rely on its manipulation of the real target, the questioning of the other female suddenly became much more imperative. If this Kim Possible had regained her sense of self, she could become a threat. Fortunately, the puppet appeared to have regained its composure. Satisfied that his foil was once more focussing on the job in hand, he turned his attention to the interrogation being played out before him.

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She didn't know for how long the panic attack had lasted, she just lifted her head from her hands, and opened her eyes, quivering with the aftermath of the adrenaline surging through her body.

As her breathing slowly returned to normal, it suddenly occurred to her, that she had never really felt fear like this before. Sure she had suffered with the typical teenage dread of social embarrassment, but good honest terror was a new sensation to her, and she was overwhelmed by it.

"Now I know how Ron feels." Kim muttered to herself, more to hear the comforting sound of her own voice than anything else. The truism in her words, however, gave her an insight into how loyal her childhood friend had been over the years.

"How could he put himself through that?" she asked herself, suddenly missing his reassuring presence. Looking back on their partnership since preschool, she yearned for the time when life seemed so simple, before duty and hormones made everything so complicated.

What she did feel, however, was a feeling of hope, a lifting of the black depression she had been feeling since she learned of her part in the death of a fellow human being. She wasn't quite her normal self. She was still shaking, and the thought of exposing herself to danger left a sick feeling in her stomach, but she forced down the rising panic in her breast and pushed herself to her feet. Whatever trouble Shego was in, was because of her, and she couldn't hide from her responsibilities any longer.

Finding the older woman's route wasn't difficult; she just followed the trail of unconscious bodies littering the back alleys. Initially one or two, they quickly became more thickly strewn across the ground. She noticed the change of uniform and having the luxury of time, carried out a quick examination to learn more about what she was walking into.

The Greek lettering quickly told her all she needed to know. If WEE was involved then Shego could be in more trouble than she thought. Picking up the pace, she entered into a long back street where the density of unconscious bodies increased even further.

Stepping over the prone forms of the WEE drones, Kim soon came to the remains of the great net under which, Shego had barely avoided being trapped. Helping some of their colleagues out from under the heavy rope, were a couple of WEE henchmen, initially unaware that they were being watched.

It was only as one of the trapped goons wriggled his way out from under the net that she was spotted, the man catching sight of her red hair as he pushed himself up from the floor.

"Hey You!"

The rather unimaginative cry sent panic once more surging through her body as all three men turned and started running towards her, two of them pulling some kind of baton out from under their belts. As they approached, she froze, wracked by indecision and appearing to all intents and purposes like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming juggernaut, until one of them was close enough to swing his weapon at her unprotected head.

If Kim's mind didn't know how to react, her body certainly did. While her cerebral cortex dithered between fight or flight, her subconscious honed from years of fighting bypassed the conscious parts of her brain that were stuck in some kind of feedback loop, and responded purely on instinct. As the weapon swung towards her, she stepped inside the arc and grabbed the man's arm with both hands. Spinning on her back foot, she used his momentum to propel her attacker back towards the other two goons.

This impromptu missile smashed into the other two men, sweeping them from their feet. The first took the full brunt of the impact, while the second was clipped by the glowing end of the rod still held in the first man's hand. He shrieked as the energy poured through his body, swiftly collapsing into unconsciousness.

Kim panted heavily, more from shock that the exertion, staring in surprise at the pile of WEE operatives lying a few feet away. After a few seconds, her conscious mind caught up with events, and she blinked a few times, before continuing on her way.

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The watcher was starting to find the interrogation frustrating. Not only was this woman resisting all Gemini's attempts at breaking her but his own attempts of reading her mind were stymied at every turn. He was fairly sure it was none of her doing, it was just that her mind was so twisted around for some reason he kept ending up in dead ends.

Even more confusing was that previously followed routes were changing at a phenomenal rate. If he didn't know better, he would have said her mind was reconfiguring itself even as he probed.

Angrily, he intervened when it looked like the moron was going to beat to death their only link to the elusive Kim Possible, all the more important now that his attempt at manipulating the heroine into a full mental breakdown had failed. The intervention caused a psychotic tantrum from the puppet, but it did at least distract his attention from trying to crack the woman's skull.

As Gemini slowly calmed himself and regained focus, so too the watcher once more tried to infiltrate the woman's mind. The synapses were reshaping themselves faster than ever as he invaded her mind. Suddenly, there was a massive shift, as a whole section of her brain reconfigured itself into a new structure. He was in.

"Where is Kim Possible?"

Gemini's continued interrogation was now superfluous. The Watcher's anticipation rose as he prepared to lift the information he was after right out of the woman's mind. The only way this could get easier would be for this Kim Possible creature to hand herself over to him personally.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

The words floated across the square, dragging everyone's attention away from the prone figure of Shego lying on the cobbles. Standing on the rooftop of one of the buildings around the edge of the square stood a female figure, her long red hair blowing dramatically into the wind.

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Once Kim was sure she had grabbed everyone's attention, she flipped herself into a somersault as she launched herself from the building, landing in the square on hands and feet like a cat. She rose to her feet, maintaining eye contact with an incredulous Gemini as she straightened, dropping her hands onto her hips, which she had subconsciously thrust to one side, exuding both self-confidence, and contempt as she surveyed the forces ranged against her.

Shego had been as surprised as everyone else, by Kim's dramatic intervention, but she was eyeing her former enemy with growing concern. Sure she appeared to know what she was doing, but something didn't ring true. Years of sparring with the teenager had given her an intimate knowledge of every nuance of the young girl's fighting style, but she didn't recognise this stance. Kim went for the disapproving 'what you're doing is wrong and I'm going to stop you' approach. The vibe she was giving off now, was more 'Yeah, I'm here, now what are you going do about it?' It was sassy, sexy even, not 'consider the consequences of your actions' but more 'screw you'. This wasn't Kim's stance, it was ... her own!

Shego's eyes widened at the revelation, sending her brain into overdrive as she finally figured it out. If Kim was so unsure of herself that she was emulating someone else's style, this wasn't going to end well.

She was quickly reminded of her own predicament, however, when she unthinkingly shifted her position. The quick jab of the pain baton in her back, swiftly appraised her of at least one person who hadn't been distracted by Kim's dramatic intervention. Growling in frustration, she stopped struggling. Since when were WEE goons this competent? Realising that now was not the time to make her move, she lay still, shifting her head to give herself a better view of the action.

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Kim surveyed the square, the sheer number of foes denting her already fragile confidence, but the sight of Shego, prone in the centre of the square, caused her lips to tighten as a flare of anger rose in her breast. As Gemini and his minions finally shook off the surprise caused by her sudden appearance and began to move towards her, she clenched her fists and waited for the nearest group to come in range.

They came in hard and fast, from two different directions, spreading out to cut off any avenue for escape. Their target didn't move as they surrounded her, waiting till the last minute when they all leaped at once in an attempt to pin her to the ground.

Just as the outstretched fingers threatened to grab hold, the muscles in her legs flexed, propelling her into an impossible leap, over the heads of the approaching attackers. Tucking herself into a tight ball, she somersaulted out of danger, landing lightly on her feet some distance behind the rapidly reducing circle of men, turning back to watch, just in time so see them all converge on the spot where she had been standing moments before.

Even from fifty feet away, Shego could hear the sickening thud as eight men crashed into each other at speed. She watched in disbelief as every one of them collapsed to the floor, stunned by the impact, leaving Kim to straighten up and dust her hands off, ready to face the next group, who were even now approaching, their formation somewhat disordered as they were distracted by the total failure of the first wave.

"Oh for fucks sake!" The expression of exasperated disgust expressed by the bastard standing over her, made her laugh, even as a similar thought passed through her mind. Only Kim make a group of perfectly capable evil henchmen suddenly appear like clueless loons.

Shego's snicker changed quickly to a grunt of pain, however as the thug standing guard jabbed her in the ribs with his baton.

"Don't raise your hopes too much bitch," the voice above her snarled, "she can't fight them all."

"Wanna bet!" The thought passed through Shego's mind, although she kept the sentiment to herself. Kim's whole poise had shifted once the action had begun. The subtle signs of self-consciousness were gone and she looked much more like the unstoppable hero she used to be.

With her confidence returning, Kim made short work of the next group to try their luck. Still distracted by the heap of unconscious colleagues lying only a few feet away, they were in no position to handle the whirlwind that ripped through them once the redhead began to move.

From her vantage point, Shego could only get a limited view of the action, but she could see enough to enjoy the rare occasion of watching Kim work without being involved. The only other time she could remember had been when she was Warmonga's prisoner, so she appreciated the opportunity to critique the youngster's technique from a distance. From what she could see, it was flawless.

The teen's style was much softer than her own hard confrontational approach, relying much more on movement and redirection of force. That certainly didn't mean it was any less effective. Whatever the direction of the attack, by the time it reached the target, Kim had already moved out of the way leaving the attacker off balance and open to a counter attack. They fell like dominos, Kim taking full advantage of their disorganised formation so that it was over in minutes leaving Kim once more clear of attackers and able to plan her next move.

Her eyes passed over Shego and the men standing guard over her, the green orbs narrowing in fury at the battered state of the older woman. Her gaze was caught by the challenging stare of the leader of this squad, his gaze unafraid and daring her to take him on.

She considered it for a moment, but there was another target nearby that would serve just as well. Also, it was lightly guarded and apparently unaware of the danger it was in.

Gemini's eyes widened as he suddenly registered Kim's change of direction. How dare she attack him personally? His trademark steel glove swept up and fired off a missile, but before it had even left the muzzle, he knew it was going to miss, she just moved too fast.

Stepping back he pushed two of the guards attending him in her direction, causing them to stumble as they tried to regain their balance before being attacked by the angry cheerleader. They failed, but their flailing gave the rest of Gemini's guards a chance to step between him and his erstwhile attacker. They were good, but not good enough.

"Alpha! To me!" Gemini's barked command drew another mutter of discontent from the man standing over the prone thief a few feet away.

"Watch her!" He barked at the two men standing nearby, and gave Shego a warning jab with his baton even as he left his post and headed over to where his boss was back-pedalling as fast as he could, desperately trying to put distance between himself and the vengeful teenager doing her best to break through his personal guard.

Shego's ears had pricked at the name. So Gemini had finally appointed his second in command. It was a post he had been trying to fill for years, even offering it to Shego a long time ago. She had turned him down flat, not wanting anything to do with such a certifiable nut-job. She had to admit, that whoever had finally taken the position was very capable.

Turning her attention to the two guards who were now left standing over her, her smile widened as she noted the nervous glances and the white knuckles gripping the batons. These two fools were much less confident in their abilities. Shego resumed watching the melee taking place a few meters away from her. Keeping one eye on her captors she got ready to take advantage of any slip in their concentration.

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Kim growled in frustration as yet more bodies interceded themselves between herself and her target. Gemini was getting away and the number of WEE henchmen surrounding her was starting to worry her. Accepting the chance of getting Gemini had passed; she switched her concentration to extracting herself from what was rapidly becoming a serious situation.

The increased pressure of the attacks was starting to tell. Unable to move as freely because of the press of bodies, she was starting to get caught by some of the strikes. The first time she felt the pain shooting through her arm when one of the batons finally connected, caused her to stumble, and only her lightening reflexes allowed her to duck out of the way of another attack aimed at her head.

She was still taking a toll on the WEE ranks, however. The more aggressive members of Gemini's organisation had been the first to attack, and subsequently been incapacitated early on in the battle. Those that were left were more cautious, and less likely to press the attack with as much disregard to their own safety. It gave Kim a breathing space but not much of one, and eventually, sheer numbers if nothing else would swamp her.

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Standing next to Gemini, watching the scene with increasing disgust, the watcher was forced to re-evaluate the threat posed by this human. Despite having nothing in the way of special powers, her agility and luck extended far beyond the boundaries of any normal measure of human ability. Some of the moves she pulled were so outrageous that the entity would have deemed them impossible if he hadn't seen them with his own eyes. His plans would come to fruition in days, he couldn't risk this female jeopardising them. He might even have to intervene directly.

"Just kill her already!"

Gemini jumped as his mother snarled at him. Dragging his attention away from the battle, he looked down to see her frowning in disappointment. Grinding his teeth together, he turned back to his men.

"Disengage safeties."

The command rang out over the square, causing some of the henchmen to look over in the direction of their boss. Kim took advantage of this momentary distraction to sweep the legs out from under the nearest goon, laying him out with a punch to the jaw.

The rest of them backed off a few feet, leaving the teenager warily watching the encircling men. About five held the batons that had been giving her so much trouble, the rest unarmed, but perfectly capable of pinning her to the ground. Those that were armed gripped the base of the baton and gave it a twist. The white glowing head changed colour, shifting to an ugly red. Kim swallowed as she watched the unarmed men give these weapons plenty of space, letting their tooled up comrades lead the next attack.

Kim's mind raced as she reassessed her position. Without the mass of WEE bodies getting in the way of each other, it was likely that she would be unable to avoid all the strikes aimed at her. She was also certain that she really didn't want to know what would happen to her if she were hit. That last command of Gemini's had an unpleasant ring to it.

She watched them get nearer, keeping her attention focussed on the four to her front and sides as they approached, judging the rhythm as they swung their weapons from side to side. As soon as she judged them in range, she spun on her heel and kicked off with her back leg. Her whole body spun, the trailing leg flicking out in a knee-high kick, striking the one, armed attacker who had approached from behind. His leg crumpled under the blow, and as he fell to the floor, Kim grabbed the baton by the handle and wrenched it out of his grasp. Even as he landed on his hands and knees, Kim followed through with her knee, catching him in the head just behind the ear. He dropped like a stone.

Caught by surprise, the four remaining armed men could only watch as the young girl turned back to face them. The baton in her hand glowed an ugly red as she swung it to and fro. The look on her face left them with no illusion about her intentions.

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As Kim faced down her attackers, Gemini was speaking into a radio.

"Team Delta, converge on my position."

The burst of static caused him to clench his jaw, his face turning ever so slightly purple with fury.

"Team Delta, report."

"Team Delta. Receiving you loud and clear."

The delayed reply caused him to jump. He had feared that his reserve squad had already been neutralised. Now, his fury turned to glee as he directed the special equipment team to approach from the far end of the square. Hopefully their target wouldn't even be aware of their presence until it was too late. Orders given, he turned back to watch his main squad, now heavily depleted, who were still trying to overwhelm the elusive girl through strength of numbers.

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The armed men facing Kim, seemed a lot less eager to approach, now that their target had a weapon of her own. Several furtive glances over their shoulders betrayed their uneasiness, as they looked for a way to avoid the confrontation, but Gemini's unremitting stare reminded them of the punishment for failure. Resigned to their fate, they took the first tentative steps towards their enemy.

Kim didn't wait for them to get in range. Leaping high in the air, she raised the glowing baton over her head ready to bring it crashing down on the head of the nearest henchman. Her target stepped back in a panic, raising his weapon over his head in an attempt to block the strike, only to catch a foot in the face as Kim unleashed her real attack.

Dropping his weapon, both hands clutched his jaw as the power of her kick jarred it from its socket. As Kim landed, she swung her baton across her body, blocking the incoming attack from the henchman on her right, using the momentum to spin her body in a 180 degree turn, her trailing elbow catching her latest attacker full in the face sending him reeling.

With the rest of the unarmed WEE men not willing to get involved while there were still baton wielding colleagues available to take her on, it was left to the last two armed henchmen to face her. Both looked at each other for support, before raising their weapons and charging simultaneously.

Time slowed for Kim, as she watched their approach. Side-stepping their clumsy charge, she raised one leg as they lunged at her previous location and snapped her foot forward, catching the nearest goon in the back of the head. Already off balance from his reckless lunge, he ploughed face first into the hard stone surface, losing two teeth and consciousness in rapid succession. The last man standing stumbled over his colleagues prone body, only to meet Kim's baton sweeping up to catch him right in the chest.

His scream caused her to drop her baton in shock. The smoking ruin of his uniform, tangible evidence of the enhanced damage capabilities of the weapon she was holding. The pungent odour of burned flesh permeated the square, causing her to gag, holding her hand to cover her nose in an attempt to block out the smell. At least his continued moaning told her he wasn't dead.

Watching their armed comrades being so comprehensibly beaten had caused the watching WEE henchmen to hesitate, but seeing the teenager's focus was on the groaning man before her, and urged on by their ranting leader, they shook off their inertia and advanced.

Fortunately for Kim, she wasn't distracted for long. Also, the reduced number of men left facing her meant that there were gaps in the circle around her and she wasn't about to give them the time they needed to close up.

Targeting the largest gap, she sprang forward, catching the hapless WEE operatives off guard once more. A quick double punch combo took out the nearest foe, leaving space for the cheerleader to break out of the trap that had been set for her.

A couple of back flips and a cartwheel gave her the space she needed to turn and face what remained of Gemini's force. For the first time in weeks, her confidence was high and she felt like her old self.

"Get Her!"

Gemini's voice echoed around the square, causing her mouth to twitch into an amused smile at the thought of the frustration he was feeling. As the huddled mass of WEE henchmen approached, however, something about their demeanour gave her pause for thought. Their approach was more determined than it had been, and some of them appeared to be looking at something...

Gut feeling caused her to snatch a fleeting glance over her shoulder, just in time to see three new WEE operatives standing some distance away, struggling to bring to bear one of the strangest contraptions she had ever seen. Her eyes widened as she realised that what she had first thought to be some strange bulbous attachment was actually a folded net. This whole charade had been a distraction designed to allow this new squad to get into position.

Anxious to avoid this new threat, she spun round and stepped off in an attempt to get out of range. Before she could move more than a couple of steps however, her escape route was blocked as someone stepped in front of her. Looking up in annoyance, her fists already raised to remove this obstacle that had moved into her path, she suddenly gasped in shock, her hands falling away as the blood in her face drained.

Standing before her stood the burned cadaver of the man she had killed, his lips drawn back in an evil smile. Kim squeezed her eyes shut, he couldn't be here, it wasn't real. Tentatively she opened her eyes. The vision had disappeared. Stunned she stood for a while, her mind struggling to come to terms with what she had just seen. It was about the time she remembered her current predicament that she was suddenly tackled from behind by one of the forgotten henchmen.

She fell forward, breaking her fall just in time to avoid smashing her head on the stone floor. Twisting her head, she saw the man who had attacked her, hanging on for dear life, his arms wrapped around her legs. Frantically she tried to break free, her legs wriggling in a desperate attempt to escape. A loud retort from somewhere behind her, caused her to tilt her head back, just in time to see the net fired from the contraption she had seen earlier. It flew out over the square, its weighted edges spreading out to cover the area she was lying in. Horrified she watched as it approached, any chance of evading it's enveloping folds having been lost due to the man still grappling her legs as if his life depended on it.

The watcher gloated as it saw the result of its intervention. One small distraction, and the pathetic fool was caught.

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Back in the square, Gemini gloated at Kim Possible's imminent capture. He was somewhat vague about the reasoning behind his actions recently, but at least his mother had finally let him get on with his work. With Kim Possible gone, nothing could stop him from destroying his sister's organisation and proving once and for all who was the more deserving sibling.

He watched eagerly as the net spread out its entangling folds. Laughed at the continued futile struggles of the trapped teenager. Exulted as the net hovered over her body before beginning its descent. Shrieked with rage as it exploded in green fire, leaving only dust to fall to the ground.

Whirling on the spot, he turned in the direction the flame had come from, and blanched to see a very angry Shego, standing over two prone guards, her hands ablaze with her comet powers and glaring at him from under the mass of black hair that partially concealed her face.

A cry from behind him caused him to look back, only to see the remains of his force scattered by the force of the explosion, the man who had been holding Kim down, now clutching his face as she had finally managed to wrest one leg from his grip and kick him in the face.

Faced with enemies on two fronts, and his own men incapacitated or in disarray, he put discretion before valour.

"Alpha, with me!"

Gemini's barked command drew a grimace of disapproval from his last remaining henchman. Still, even he had to admit that the advantage had been lost. Following his master he entered the small capsule that had risen up from the floor of the square. Stepping inside, he strapped himself in, just in time before the powerful rocket motor engaged, taking them both to safety.

Grimly, the watcher was forced to re-evaluate the threat posed to it by this female. Fading from sight, it reappeared in the underground cavern it had inhabited since arriving in this dimension. No longer convinced of victory, it watched, frustrated, as the Lotus Blade's once blue aura battled vainly against the encroaching red miasma that had almost completed its dominance.

Elsewhere in the cavern, unaware that his patron was watching him, Adauchi also contemplated the Lotus Blade's condition. Now clad in full Samurai battle regalia, he sank to his knees and meditated in anticipation of his imminent rise to power.

True, any attempt to eliminate the chosen one before the appointed hour had been lost. He had felt the frustration at being thwarted by this Kim Possible through the tenuous connection he still maintained with his puppet, but that had always been an incidental concern. In his heart he had always known that every aspect of the prophecy would be fulfilled, and that meant facing Ron Stoppable.

Accepting his fate, he marshalled his resources in readiness for the greatest confrontation of the age. In two days time, he would rule supreme.

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Shego cursed as she watched her tormentor make his escape. She had been hoping to finish this here and now. Instead it looked like she would have to hunt the WEE leader down to get that tape back. Whatever she had said about Drakken, there was no doubting that her reputation would be shot if it ever got released into the evil community.

A few muffled groans from the far side of the square drew her attention briefly, but it appeared as if Kim was easily up to the task of mopping up what was left of Gemini's abandoned troops.

"Buh ... buh ... buh"

Shego stiffened as she heard the incoherent jabbering behind her. A cruel smile spread on her lips as she turned, her movements deliberate as she faced the stunned, and up to now forgotten, Dr Dementor.

Unable to take in the catastrophe that had befallen his supposedly unbeatable allies, the Doctor only regained control of his faculties once he felt the full strength of the super-powered thief's glare focused on him. There was no doubt in his mind what fate awaited him if she should ever get her hands on him. He shot her one fearful look, turned and ran.

Shego watched him leave, happy to give him a few yards head start before running him down, it would heighten his fear that much more before she really began to express her displeasure on his person.

"Shego! Help me!"

Her attention was distracted by Kim's cry. Her head turned to look back, only to see the teenager crouching over one of Gemini's men.

Not getting an answer, Kim left checking over the man she had hit with the WEE baton earlier, and looked over to see why Shego hadn't replied. She could see the older woman poised, ready to chase after the rapidly vanishing figure of Dr Dementor, eager to catch him before he lost himself in the maze of alleyways that threaded through the town.

"Shego, Now!"

Kim's imperious tone surprised both herself and the woman she was talking to. Shego hesitated briefly, still torn by the urge to hunt down Dementor and execute some justice of her own, before swearing foully and heading over to see what she could do.

Kim's pathetically grateful smile did nothing to improve her mood.

"Didn't take you long to get back to giving everybody orders, did it Princess?"

Shego's snide comment went unnoticed, however, as all of Kim's attention was focussed on the injured man she was kneeling beside.  
Sighing with resignation, Shego knelt down on the other side, and gave him a quick once-over. It didn't look good.

"Hey You! You got a doctor around here?"

Shego's shout made Kim look up. Now that the battle was over, some of the locals were beginning to emerge from their houses. The young man Shego had directed her comment at, looked at her in silence for a second before nervously nodding.

"So go get him already!"

Eager to avoid angering this dangerous woman, he shot off with admirable alacrity, leaving the two of them to continue their examination.

He was soon back; dragging a puffing middle aged man in his wake and carrying what was obviously the doctor's bag. Shego was happy to relinquish her position to the expert, who quickly entered into a muttered conversation with the redhead.

More and more people were beginning to emerge, and Shego began to feel a bit nervous of the attention they were getting. She wasn't used to having so many eyes looking in her direction, as a thief it went against every instinct, and she began to feel decidedly uncomfortable.

"Hey, I know you!"

Shego's head jerked round, only to find that the little girl who had called out was actually pointing at the redhead.

"You're Kim Possible!"

"Typical!" The thought flashed through the older woman's mind. The feeling of jealousy surprised her. After all, what kind of thief wanted to be recognised wherever she went?

She watched a small smile flit over the cheerleader's lips, but Kim didn't divert her attention from following the instructions the doctor was giving her.

"If she's Kim Possible, you must be ... whatshisname!"

Shego looked down at the boy addressing her. He looked about six.

"Ron Stoppable."

The name came automatically to her lips but it drew a puzzled look from her interrogator.

"Huh?" The confusion on his face was obvious.

"Short for Rhonda" Shego ad-libbed. It was a throw away comment, but she hoped that maybe her participation in this fiasco would go unnoticed.

The crowds were thickening now, and the local law enforcement began pushing their way into the square, now that they felt it was safe to show their faces. Shego melted into the crowd, while they cleared the area of the WEE operatives left behind in Gemini's retreat, presumably to be held until Global Justice turned up to take them into custody.

The injured man was also taken away, with the doctor in tow, to receive the specialised medical attention he needed, leaving Kim suddenly finding herself surrounded by the locals, all of whom wanted to express their gratitude.

Unseen, a few feet away, Shego watched as the initially nervous heroine blossomed under the heartfelt thanks of the people she had saved. She could almost see the fragile ego healing under the positive feedback she was receiving, as the girl's stance shifted from hunched and defensive to a more relaxed, upright posture. Correctly assuming that this was the best therapy the young girl could possibly get, she let the crowd work it's healing magic for a while before sidling up behind her.

"I think we'd better head back to the boat." The murmured words in her ear caused Kim to look back over her shoulder, her face breaking out into a happy grin as she looked into the green eyes of her companion.

"But we haven't eaten yet."

Shego just looked for a second, before shaking her head in resignation.

"I see you're feeling better." The sardonic tone of her voice simply caused the redhead's grin to widen even further.

Accepting the inevitable, Shego let herself be dragged away by the grateful populace to the nearest restaurant. The proprietors were ecstatic at the prospect of serving the town's defenders, attending to the two women's every request with aplomb, and any attempts at paying for the meal were waved away as if such a thing would be an insult to the whole town. As she pushed away her plate and poured a final glass of surprisingly passable chardonnay, she reflected that there were sometimes benefits to being a hero.

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Later, back on the island, Shego reflected on what had been a very long day. After lunch, they had been feted by the locals with an impromptu festival, allowing those who had witnessed the whole affair through shuttered windows to regale the others with details that grew more exaggerated with each rendition.

The thief had been glad to hear that Kim was getting most of the credit, especially when the local TV network turned up. The less publicity her own participation received the better as far as she was concerned, her cover story wouldn't stand up to any level of investigation. Still, she reckoned no one had ever lost out by underestimating the laziness of journalists when verifying their sources. Even so it had been an uncomfortable time for someone used to remaining in the shadows, and she was glad when it degenerated into a carnival of feasting and dancing.

Finally, long after the sun had sunk over the horizon, the two women managed to make their escape and head back home. All Shego was looking forward to now, was a good nights sleep. As they arrived back at the island, she moored the boat to the jetty, and headed off up the path to the villa. Shutting the door behind them, she turned to say good night, more that ready to retire to her own bed for some much needed sleep, only to find herself engulfed in an embrace that caught her totally off guard. Staggering slightly under the weight, she steadied herself, wondering what the hell was going on.

Kim squeezed her tightly, eliciting a grunt from the older woman as the air was forced from her lungs, letting up only when she felt a hand tapping her shoulder twice in the classic wrestling submission signal. Blushing slightly, she stepped back, allowing a dishevelled Shego to attempt to adjust her wrinkled clothing.

"What the hell was that all about?"

Shego's tone came out harsher that she had really intended, but it didn't seem to dampen Kim's spirit. It was just one more sign that the teenager was starting to regain her previous levels of self-belief.

Kim shrugged.

"I never got a chance to thank you for everything you did for me today."

The way Kim was smiling at her, flustered Shego even more than she had been after the hug. She was starting to get a bit embarrassed by all the attention.

"You rescued me remember!" Shego pointed out, still a little rankled at the precarious position she had found herself in, but Kim dismissed this with a grimace.

"Who took it upon herself to draw them away from me in the first place?" Kim was counting the points on her fingers as she spoke. "Who refused to turn me in even after a massive beating, who managed to break free and destroy that net despite being held down by two guards?"

The redhead looked pointedly at her, daring Shego to deny what she was saying. Conceding defeat Shego sighed, to tired to argue any longer.

"Fine, Fine, you want to give me the credit, that's fine by me. Just don't tell anyone, OK?" Signalling the conversation was over, the older woman turned and headed towards her own room.

"Your secret's safe with me ... Rhonda!"

Shego hesitated slightly at the comment, before continuing into the bedroom.

"Heroes! Always have to have the last word," she muttered to herself, but there was a smile on her lips, and she felt happier than she had for a very long time. Quickly getting undressed, she cleaned her teeth and slid under the covers. Sleep came quickly, and for the first time in a long while, she had a good nights rest in her own bed.

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The next morning, she shuffled into the communal area, yawning widely, only to be met by an exuberant Kim, already dressed and full of energy.

"So, what are we doing today, Swimming or shopping?"

The teenager's eagerness was particularly wearing this early in the morning, so Shego didn't feel too bad about crushing her hopes.

"Nah, packing."

The way Kim's face fell, did give her a tinge of guilt, but she shrugged it off, and poured herself a glass of fresh juice.

Turning back to her dejected houseguest, she actually felt bad about how stricken the girl looked. Hardening her resolve, she stifled the urge to back down, and stay one more day.

"Look Kim, it's been a blast, I'm sure, but you're better, and I've got things to do OK?"

Kim flushed at the implication that she had been such a burden. Looking down, feeling a bit sheepish, she bowed to the inevitable.

"Yeah, sorry." Her voice was small, with just the slightest tremble, making Shego feel like a total heel, but Kim soon pulled herself together.

"You're right, I've imposed long enough, and God knows you've done more than I could ever have expected."

Looking up, she flashed her benefactor a false smile.

"I'll be ready in twenty minutes." She turned and headed off to her room, leaving Shego alone and feeling like she had just kicked a puppy.

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It was nearer an hour before they left, Shego was not one for rushing in the morning and she had her own packing to do, but eventually she was ready and they locked up the villa.

As the two of them headed down to the jetty, Kim looked across at her silent companion.

"Really Shego, thanks for everything."

There was no reply but she continued regardless.

"I couldn't have done this without you, I won't forget it."

Shego finally responded as they climbed onto the boat.

"Don't get too comfortable Possible. Next time I see you, I'll kick your ass!"

That drew a grin from Kim, and the slight tension that had developed during the morning dissipated as the banter diffused the awkwardness that had been growing since the decision had been made to leave. The two women stowed their bags on the yacht, and left the island behind, heading for the airport.

On arrival, Shego watched as Kim checked in for a scheduled flight back to the states. The plane was already boarding, but she carried the teen's duffel bag as well as her own, handing it to her just as they reached the bottom of the steps.

"Oof" The air exploded from her lungs as Kim engulfed her once more in a hug, the two bags dropping to the ground as the impact dislodged them from her grip. A couple of seconds passed before she reciprocated with a tiny squeeze that only caused Kim to embrace her even more warmly.

When she finally broke contact, there was a distinct watery glisten in the young woman's eye.

"Go on, get outta here." Shego's warm tone belied her words as she handed Kim her bag and gave her limpet-like companion a little shove. "I need some time away from annoying attention seekers."

"Not much chance of that!"

Kim was looking over Shego's shoulder as she spoke, causing the thief to turn in bemusement, only for her expression to shift towards frustration as she witnessed the multi-coloured jet finishing its final approach, touching down even as she watched.

"What the hell are they doing here?" She groaned.

"You want some moral support?" Kim offered.

Shego snorted.

"Like I've ever needed help dealing with them. You get home and see your Mom, I've got some nosy brothers to re-educate."

Kim hesitated for a while, before admitting to herself that this was a family matter, and nothing to do with her.

"Well Ok." She conceded, before grabbing another quick hug and, to Shego's surprise, a quick peck on the cheek before turning and heading up into the plane. Only stopping at the doorway for a quick wave, the teenager headed inside leaving a speechless Shego staring wide-eyed in her wake, one hand touching the spot on her cheek that Kim's lips had brushed only moments before.

"Teenagers!"

Shego finally shook off her confusion and turned away from the plane as the cabin crew closed the outer door. Seeing the Go Jet taxiing to a spot not far away, she headed towards it, determined to stop her annoying family from even setting foot on the tarmac before being packed off back to where they came from. She didn't reach it in time.

As she watched her elder brother walking down the steps, she was surprised to see that Mego at least hadn't accompanied him. It was unlike him to miss the chance to stick his nose where it wasn't wanted.

"Maybe he's finally learned plasma burns hurt." Shego mused, not really believing it.

Forcing down the feeling of irritation at her family's interference, she stopped a few feet away from the plane, glaring at her brother as he walked towards her.

Hego hesitated slightly. Giving his head a little shake, he resumed his approach, visibly nervous about the prospect of facing his dangerous sister.

"Hey Sis, surprised to see you here!"

"Can it Hego, you aren't fooling anyone!" Shego's irritation was plain in her voice. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, Nothing." Hego's shifty look belied his denial. "We... er I mean I just heard about a disturbance and thought I should check it out."

Shego just looked at him contemptuously, not even bothering to give such a pathetic excuse a response. She folded her arms and glared. Her foot tapping as she stared him down.

"Ok, Ok!" He conceded, "We saw the news footage about Kim and spotted you lurking in the background. Thought we'd better find out what the hell was going on. Alright?"

This last word was flung at her, implying that she was making a fuss over nothing, but Shego wasn't having any truck with that.

"So you thought you would come here and poke your nose where it doesn't belong."

Hego gulped nervously at the suppressed fury in her voice.

"We being you and Mego I suppose." She continued, eliciting a shrug from her older brother.

"The twins thought we should stay out of it, yes." He admitted.

"They've got more sense than the two of you, that's for sure."

Shego was starting to get another headache. Whether it was one of those migraines that had been bothering her recently, or just a symptom of close proximity to her brother was yet to be seen.

"So what happened to Mego?" Her other brother's absence was puzzling her. It really wasn't like him to miss a chance to annoy his older sister. When they were younger, she felt as if he had made it his purpose in life, she didn't think he could have changed that much.

Hego shrugged, and changed the subject.

"So, er what are you doing here, anyway?" Shego's eyes narrowed as Hego squirmed. Something else was going on here, something she couldn't quite figure out.

"None of your damned business Hego." She was starting to get angry now. Why couldn't her family just stay out of her business? "Look. Just piss off and leave me alone."

Hego's shoulders slumped at his sister's intransigence. For a moment, she thought he was going to leave, but he suddenly jerked his head and rubbed his ear, wincing as if it had been stung.

"Look Sis, we're family. We aren't going to stop worrying about you just because you chose a different path."

Shego sighed as she realised he wasn't going to just let it drop, but he hadn't finished speaking.

"What were you doing here? We saw the TV pictures, looks like Kim and Ron sorted everything out OK, but we saw you in the background and feared the worst."

Shego's face froze at his words. Good news that her cover story had been enough to fool crappy investigative journalists, but if her picture was all over the networks, she would have a lot of explaining to do.

For once Hego correctly interpreted his sister's expression.

"Relax, you were pretty well hidden. I doubt if anyone else would have noticed you."

He breathed out in relief as he saw his sister relax slightly. He still doubted he would get out of this unscathed but her plasma bolts had a tendency to miss more often than not if she wasn't totally pissed.

"Nothing to do with you OK? I was just passing through."

Shego's voice was still angry, but the relief she felt in hearing that her participation in Kim's rehabilitation would probably go unnoticed took the edge off.

"Sure thing Sis, if you say so." The big man backed away slightly, both hands raised in surrender.

Hego's obvious willingness to take her explanation at face value made her feel better. At least he still remembered what it felt like when she lost her temper. It gave her a small feeling of nostalgia as she remembered when their arguments had been simple sibling squabbles rather than the more serious conflicts of late when they had faced each other on opposite sides of the moral divide. She had expected him to put up more of a fight though.

"Is that it? You flew hundreds of miles to see me, and now you're just going to walk away?" She was incredulous, and suddenly, very suspicious.

"Look sis, it's obvious you don't want me here, and I obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion, so lets just agree, and I can leave without needing skin grafts, OK?"

Shego just stared dumbfounded as he turned and walked back up the steps into the cockpit. Shaking her head, she picked up her luggage and headed for the exit, struggling to rationalise the bizarre behaviour of her brother. She was so distracted, she failed to spot the flash of purple disappear into the depths of her bag.

Through the cockpit window, Hego watched her leave, shaking his head with worry.

"Hope you know what you're doing Mego."

Once he was sure she had left, he turned round to address the two red suited boys sitting behind him.

"Well, he's gone. Now we just have to sit and wait."

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As she headed back towards the docks, Shego finally had time to take stock on all that had happened in the past few weeks. She felt as if she had had a ride in a spin-dryer, every aspect of her life having been turned on its head. Her enemies embracing her like a long lost friend, her evil colleagues hunting her down. She was beginning to question the very core of her beliefs.

Take Kim for example. Sure, she had always respected her abilities as a fighter, looked forward to their encounters as a chance to test herself against the very best even. How the hell had that been subverted into babysitting the annoying brat as she went through a crisis of confidence?

She could still recall the sensation of Kim's kiss on her cheek, and it bothered her. Not because the thought of being kissed by the girl was wrong, but rather that she hadn't even considered blasting her for taking such a liberty. She certainly wouldn't have hesitated six months ago.

Hego was another conundrum. Sure, seeing him turn up out of the blue like that had been annoying, but the thought that her family was looking out for her didn't generate quite the same frustration as it used to. She was more than happy to demonstrate to them that she could take care of herself, but there was a warm feeling of affection deep in the pit of her stomach that just hadn't been there before. Well perhaps it had a little bit, but certainly not the definite feeling she was experiencing now.

Drakken's talk on the attitudinator came back to her. Was that what was happening? Had her mind rewired itself to be more Ms Go than Shego? She blanched at the thought. Drakken had warned her to stay away from positive influences, and what had she done?

"Just spent the past week babysitting my worst enemy. Damn. Damn. Damn."

She stopped pounding her forehead with the heel of her palm, aware she was drawing bemused looks from the locals. Just far had it gone? Was she turning soft?

Her thoughts turned to Gemini, and more importantly Dementor.

"Nope, no fluffy feelings there." She thought to herself.

She smiled, partly in relief that at least some of her old personality remained, and partly in cruel anticipation of what she was going to do to those bastards. Deciding that there was nothing she could do at the moment to correct her recent mistakes, and that reinforcing her darker side might go some way towards reasserting her natural character, she pushed her doubts aside, and focussed on how she could re-establish her position in the evildoers hierarchy. Dementor was still on the island, she doubted he had the resources to make a quick getaway like Gemini had, and he was the only lead she had to the WEE leader. Decision made, she headed home, changed into her trademark green and black catsuit. and waited for darkness.

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The Stoppable household was not a happy place. Permeating the house was a sense of impending doom, so pervasive that even Ron had begun to be effected by it. Yori wasn't helping, and Ron had begun to worry about her state of mind. For a few days, her mood had improved, her enthusiasm about looking for a way to remove the circlet from Rufus' head had matched his own, but as the days passed, she had slid into a depression that was threatening to turn into catatonia. Ron and Rufus had tried to engage with her, but she just sat, slumped in the armchair, staring into space.

Kim's absence hadn't helped. It appeared that Wade didn't know where she was either, which was unusual in itself, although the computer genius had pointed out that the only way he had of tracking her was if she had her Kimmunicator with her. Unfortunately, it was currently sitting on her bedside table, where she had left it a week ago.

Kim's mum did know where she was, which made Ron feel better about the whole situation, but she wouldn't tell him and not knowing was unsettling. With Yori no longer capable of taking charge, it left him as the sole responsible party, to decide what to do next. It was not a situation he was comfortable with. Currently, he was sitting in the kitchen with Rufus on his arm, wondering what else could possibly go wrong.

The knock at the door made him jump, almost dislodging Rufus from his perch, resulting in an incomprehensible stream of invective on what the rodent thought of his master. Soothing his pet's ruffled ego, Ron went to the front door, glancing at Yori as he passed, but she betrayed no interest in her surroundings.

Opening the door, revealed a short oriental man dressed in a UPS uniform, his hair cropped short but large sideburns covering his cheeks. On seeing Ron, his face split in a wide smile. Giving Ron a small parcel, he held out a clipboard for the young man to sign.

Struggling to sign his name without dropping the package, Ron never noticed Rufus' reaction on seeing the deliveryman. The Molerat's jaw dropped and his knees trembled. Something deep within his primeval core vibrated with the power emanating from the man.

Seeing the small animal struggle to understand the powerful feelings overwhelming him, the postman tipped him a wink, and reaching into his shirt, pulled something out between his thumb and forefinger. Holding whatever it was to his lips, he blew in Rufus' direction.

The rat sneezed. Shaking his head, he struggled for a moment to remember what had been bothering him, before even that memory vanished, leaving him to peer interestedly at the parcel while his owner handed back the clipboard.

The little man bobbed his head in acknowledgement, still smiling, while Ron turned back and headed into the house. Rufus craned his neck to watch the man until the closing door obscured his view. He was sure he looked familiar somehow.

Ron looked at the writing on the parcel. The script was precise, almost artistic, as if the writer took great pride in their calligraphy skill. In bold sweeping letters was the name Funakoshi Yori. Puzzled, Ron looked up at the young woman. She was still sitting in the chair, paying no attention to what was going on.

"Hey Yori!"

Ron's raised voice at least jerked Yori out of her sightless stare into space. Turning her head, she looked at him dully, her eyes sunken with the despair she was feeling.

"Package for you."

Ron tossed the parcel in her direction, hoping that she would catch it in time. It was only after it had left his hand that he considered that its contents might be fragile.

Yori's hand automatically snatched the object out of the air, even as her mind reconnected with the present; her interest peaked by this unexpected development. Carefully opening the package, her slim fingers smoothing out the paper even as she unwrapped it, she revealed a slim walnut box, its lid carved with the Yamanouchi symbol.

Her hand trembling, she gently lifted off the lid, revealing a beautifully carved medallion resting on a pile of white petals. Slowly, she lifted the pendant from its box. It dangled from her fingers, slowly spinning.

"What is it?" Ron's voice was almost a whisper as he marvelled at the craftsmanship.

"It is a good luck charm." Yori's voice sounded sad, although she was smiling slightly. "Mokoto must have sent it."

"Well that's cool." Ron was just happy Yori was interacting with him. It had been awhile. "We could certainly do with some luck right now."

Yori didn't answer him immediately. She contemplated the medallion sadly, one finger running over the exquisite detail carved into the wood.

"It is made from the wood of the red oak tree." She finally said. "It is a very hard wood, very difficult to work." Sighing, she turned to face him.

"We only make them for very special occasions. This must be one he made months ago, for the celebrations this year."

"What's so special about this year?" Ron was keen to keep the conversation going. Anything was better than watching her waste away in that chair.

"We're celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the founding of our order, when Toshimiru carved out the school from the very rock of Yamanouchi Mountain using the Lotus Blade itself."

"Oh right... wait, didn't Master Sensei say that happened in three hundred and something?"

Yori's peal of laughter caught him by surprise. Initially bridling at her amusement, he couldn't stop smiling as he realised that this was the first time he had heard her laugh since Bhutan.

"Oh Stoppable San. You and your western style fixation with the Judeo/Christian calendar."

Getting control of herself, she stopped laughing, although her eyes still danced with merriment.

"In Japan, we use several different calendars. In Yamanouchi, we use one based on the founding of the Mosato family, Toshimiru's own clan."

Sighing, the brief lift in her mood dissipated as she remembered her exile, and the reason for it. Without thinking, she stood up, forgetting the wooden box that was resting on her lap. Her sudden movement dislodged it, and it tumbled through the air, coming to land on the rug a few feet away, scattering petals as it went.

It was almost too much for Yori. Her eyes teared up, and she looked mutely at Ron in silent apology for causing such a mess. Her misery went straight to the young man's heart. He hurried over to where she stood, and pulled her into the tightest hug he could manage. He could feel her chest heaving from suppressed sobs and he pulled her head into the gap between his cheek and his shoulder, wishing with all his heart that he could take away the pain she was feeling.

For once, Yori didn't try to be strong, she simply buried her face into his shoulder, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she fought down the impulse to cry. She stood there for a few minutes, before lifting up her head and giving a delicate sniff.

Feeling her start to pull away, Ron hurriedly released his grip, but even as his arms disengaged from the embrace, he felt her body freeze.

"Yori?" He stepped back slightly so as to be able to see her properly, but she wasn't looking in his direction. Following her gaze, Ron turned to see what she was looking at, only to see Rufus, standing on the chair arm, staring transfixed at the scene before him.

"Wha?"

The naked mole rat ignored his master's query, moving before the words even left Ron's mouth. Walking slowly on all fours, he approached a clump of petals that was lying on the floor. He scooped up as much as he could in his front paws and looked at the two humans towering above him with a triumphant grin on his face. As they continued to watch him in bemusement, he threw the flower petals into the air, where they scattered before drifting back down to the floor.

"Snow!"

It took Yori a moment to comprehend the significance of Rufus' revelation, but when she finally understood what he was trying to convey, her eyes widened in excitement and she rushed over to where the rodent was standing. Kneeling down, so as to be more on his level, she scooped up the little animal and stared him straight in the eyes.

"This? This is the snow you saw?"

"Uh-Huh!" Rufus couldn't disguise the pride he felt in being able to help his friend. Her misery, and the effect it had had on his master had bothered him greatly. The fact that he could make her smile again made him very happy. All the more so now that his master, who had taken a little longer to realise what was happening, was smiling too.

Excitedly, Yori spun on her heel to face Ron once more.

"This blossom is from the winter cherry that only grows on the slopes of our mountain. That must be what Rufus saw, the blossom falling from the trees."

Ron grinned as he saw Yori squeal with girlish excitement, he hadn't seen he this giddy since ... well ever. He wasn't expecting her sudden lunge, however, and staggered as she launched herself at him, grabbing him in a tight hug.

Unable to do anything, his arms pinned by his side, he stood there for a while until the young ninja finally released her grip. The two teenagers grinned at each other for a while, when another thought sprang into Ron's mind.

"Of Course!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Lenium, it all makes sense."

Yori didn't quite see what he was getting at, but he didn't leave her in suspense for long.

"You said you were about to celebrate a 1000 year anniversary."

Yori's puzzled look told him she still didn't get it.

"It's not Lenium, its Millennium. He can't say Emms because of his teeth."

Yori gave him a half smile. She could see that Ron felt this was important, but she didn't understand what Millennium meant. It didn't take long for Ron to see what the problem was.

"Millennium, a 1000 year period of time. That's when the prophecy is supposed to take place, on your school's anniversary."

Yori's face dropped at this news.

"But that is the day after tomorrow. How are we going to get there on time?"

Ron opened his mouth, but didn't get time to answer.

"Well I guess you could both do with a lift."

Ron and Yori spun round at the feminine voice that interrupted their conversation. Leaning against the doorjamb leading into the kitchen was a smiling redheaded woman, her skin glowing with health following her recent trip to the tropics.

"KP" Ron yelled, his face lightening up at the sight of his oldest friend.

Kim laughed as he rushed over and gave her a hug.

"You're back! Where've you been? How are you?"

Kim returned his hug with one of her own.

"I'm good." She stated, the confidence in her voice leaving him no doubt that whatever crisis she had been going through was over.

"That's great" he enthused, before an uncomfortable thought sprang in his mind.

"Err, how long have you been standing there?"

Kim chuckled at his discomfort

"Long enough." She whispered, her arms squeezed tight, letting him know that she didn't have a problem with the intimacy he had been sharing with Yori.

"Heh, OK." Ron laughed nervously, still not sure where he stood with the two women, but Kim had already switched moods and was back in mission mode.

"So you need to get to Yamanouchi right?"

Yori nodded as Kim finally addressed her directly.

The ninja wasn't sure if she trusted Kim's rapid recovery. The last thing she needed was for the girl to freeze on her again, especially considering the seriousness of the situation. Still, she conceded that her allies and resources were few and far between, and a fully recovered Kim Possible would be a massive boost to their chances of dealing with whatever came their way. Besides, there was no way Ron would even contemplate not including Kim in their group. The look on his face revealed his confidence that, whatever happened, Kim could handle it. In his mind, they had already won. Accepting the inevitable, Yori figured that if Kim became a liability, she would just have to deal with it.

"Hai! We need to be there by tomorrow. Whatever is going to happen, we must warn the school."

Kim looked at her warily. She could tell Yori didn't trust her completely. The cool tone in the ninja's voice spelled that out very clearly. Still, Ron needed her help, and that was all she needed to know. Pulling her Kimmunicator from her pocket, she hit speed dial.

"Hey Wade."

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In an old abandoned building, Dr Dementor huddled in the darkness. All his plans had turned to dust, and now he was reduced to hiding in a squalid hovel, jumping at every noise, as he feared for his life.

Not so long ago, he had been a respected member of the evil scientist community. It was all Drakken's fault he told himself. If that blue buffoon hadn't got lucky and saved the world, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"Well, Well, Well. A fine lair I must say Herr Doktor." The whispered voice was so close he could feel their breath on his ear.

"Nyarrgghh!"

The doctor leapt away. Landing in an undignified heap, he scanned the room looking for whoever was speaking, but the lack of light prevented him from seeing the speaker, although the mocking laughter gave away their general position.

"Mein Gott!" He recognised that laugh, and now he really did fear for his own safety.

"Not quite! In fact you could say the opposite."

Green light flared inches away from his face. The visage it revealed looked almost demonic as the shadows cast by the flame danced across it.

"Bitte. Nein." Dementor scuttled backwards in a futile attempt to escape, but his efforts only drew more laughter.

The light winked out, plunging the terrified scientist into darkness. Hardly daring to breathe, he turned his head from side to side, trying to pinpoint the woman he knew was stalking him. He heard nothing.

Seconds turned into minutes, the only sound his own breathing and the pounding of his heart. Had she gone? He couldn't understand it, but eventually he relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Oof" The breath was forced out of his lungs, as a knee landed on his chest. The green light flared once more revealing a pale face. Lips lined with black lipstick curved into a wicked smile as dark orbs, looked down on the flattened doctor. Leaning down so that her nose was practically touching the terrified man Shego didn't even try to keep the sadistic anticipation from her voice.

"So! Whatever shall we talk about?" 


	14. Ch 13 A Mountain of trouble

Shego rocked back on her heels and sighed in disgust as she looked down on the blubbering wreck beneath her.

"Will you stop crying?" She didn't bother to hide her contempt for this weakling. Even Drakken would have put up more resistance than this. "I haven't even started yet."

This was literally true, she hadn't laid a finger on him, but already he was sobbing piteously, promising to tell her anything as long as she didn't hurt him. It was embarrassing.

She briefly considered slapping him around a bit anyway, as a release for her own pent up frustration, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Even at her worst, the idea of hurting someone just for kicks was a step too far.

"Oh, get up!" She rose to her feet. Brushing the dirt from her suit she turned away, seeking a moment to reorganise her thoughts, and taking this opportunity to switch on the light. A few seconds later, the sound of her quarry pushing himself up from the floor recalled her mind to the task in hand.

"OK Dementor, spill it!" The man flinched as she poked him right in the chest. "Where's Gemini?"

The question appeared to throw Dementor. He just stood there blinking, but Shego wasn't in the mood to give his brain time to catch up. With one swift move, she closed the gap between them and grabbed his shirt in a fist, pushing him up against the nearest wall.

"Even you aren't insane enough not to take precautions against a double-cross when dealing with that madman. You must have been keeping your ear to the ground."

Dementor looked at her, his eyes rolling in fear as he realised the dilemma he was caught in. His mind worked furiously as he pondered who he feared the most, Gemini or Shego. True, Gemini ran a global organization with influence stretching throughout the whole evil community, but Shego was right here. One look in her eyes was enough to know she would do whatever it took to get what she wanted.

A quick shake from his captor was enough to drag his attention back to what she was saying.

"Where is he?" Shego gave him another shake to emphasise the question. Holding her free hand up to his face, she let her power flow, the flames casting a sickly green glow over his face."

"He's in Japan." Dementor couldn't get the words out fast enough. "I'm not sure where, he wouldn't say!"

"Japan's a pretty big place." Shego growled, tightening her grip. "You'll have to do better than that."

The twisted garment clenched in her fist was now pressed against his windpipe, cutting off the oxygen. His face, or what could be seen of it under his metal helmet began to turn a bright shade of puce as he gasped for breath.

Shego let him suffer for a few seconds before releasing the pressure slightly. Dementor gulped in a few breaths of air, but the powerful woman was impatient. Twisting her hand at the wrist, she reapplied the pressure to his airway, this time leaving it constricted for considerably longer.

When she finally let him breathe once more, his gasping was even more frenzied, his neck now sporting a weal where the cloth had rubbed against the skin.

"I'm waiting!" The thief flexed her arm, beginning to reapply the pressure for a third time.

"Wait!" Dementor managed to croak, his voice hoarse as his vocal chords protested at the treatment they were receiving. "I did hear something."

Shego didn't bother replying, she just looked at him, one eyebrow raised in enquiry.

"Alpha was talking about some allies of theirs, apparently on some mountain somewhere. It appears he used to know them from years back and was warning Gemini they couldn't be trusted."

Dementor paused to catch his breath, but Shego wasn't having any of it.

"He must have mentioned a name, something. There are a lot of mountains in Japan."

She gave him a shake for good measure, causing his eyes flick towards hers nervously. His tongue moistened his lips even as his knees quaked under the relentless gaze of his captor.

"He called it er... "

His voice faltered as he struggled to remember the conversation he partially overheard several weeks ago. Shego gave him another shake to jog his memory.

"YammieNookie" His voice squeaked as he blurted out the word. His eyes desperately seeking some sign that his ordeal was over. He didn't get one.

"YammieNookie? There's no such place." Shego's eyes narrowed as a thought popped into her mind. "Do you mean Yamanouchi?"

Her voice had dropped to an ominous tone, causing Dementor to sweat uncomfortably under his metal helmet.

"Ja, das ist es. Yamanouchi" He nodded excitedly, slipping into his native German, hoping he had done enough to placate the dangerous woman. Her reaction was not what he was hoping for.

Shego pulled the German scientist towards her, until his nose was pressed against her own, her forehead resting on the cool metal of his helmet. She was taller than him, and she bent her head forward, forcing him to tilt his head back as she glared into his eyes.

"You're lying. There's no way Yamanouchi would have anything to do with Gemini!"

Despite training with another ninja clan, Shego had heard of the elusive Yamanouchi School. They were a legend among the Japanese underground, never hiring out like all the other schools, but pursuing some private agenda of their own. Defending their territory with vigour, but otherwise remaining separate from the outside world. Outwardly they maintained a strict policy of neutrality, but rumours abounded of them influencing events from the shadows, always in a way that promoted the virtues of Truth and Justice.

"It's true, it's true," Dementor panicked as he saw his chances of escaping serious injury recede. "He said that even if Master Sensei had died the council would still be dangerous."

"Master Sensei is dead?" The Yamanouchi leader was almost as big a legend as his school. If he was no longer around, it might be possible that their priorities had changed. If WEE was teamed up with Yamanouchi then things were getting serious indeed.

She cast a suspicious look at the deflated Dementor, who shrugged apologetically. "That's all I remember" he whined.

Shego released her grip on his shirt, much to his relief. Her mind was racing as she tried to assimilate this new information. If Gemini was holed up on Yamanouchi Mountain, she would have almost no chance of getting back that recording.

Dementor watched nervously as she paced up and down the room, her mind working furiously as she struggled with her dilemma. He twitched as she stopped abruptly, but he was the last thing on her mind.

"That friend of Kim's was Yamanouchi." She didn't realise she had spoken the thought aloud until Dementor's "Huh?" reminded her of her audience. Glaring him into silence, she wondered what this new development could mean. She pictured the delicate asian features of the girl who had intervened in her last attempt to pick a fight with Kim. Was the ninja school keeping tabs on Kim for Gemini's benefit?

"If Yamanouchi was tracking her all this time," she pondered, keeping her thoughts to herself this time, "what was Gemini playing at?"

Something was obviously going on that she didn't know about. That lack of knowledge could prove fatal. There was no other choice. She would have to infiltrate one of the most tightly guarded places on the planet. There was no way she was going to let Gemini loose with that incriminating recording of her, and while she was there, maybe she could find out what Yamanouchi were doing associating with an organisation like WEE.

She considered giving Kim the heads up first, but quickly dismissed it. The cheerleader could probably look after herself if the Yamanouchi girl tried anything, and warning her could alert Gemini to the fact that she knew whom he was associating with.

Her mind made up, she headed for the exit. The watching Dementor kept quiet, praying that he had been forgotten, but his hopes were dashed when she grabbed him by the scruff of the neck on her way out.

"Where are we going?" His whining was starting to get on Shego's nerves but she answered him anyway.

"To the airport, where else?"

Ignoring his protests, she frogmarched him out of the building. Her plane should have arrived by now, Drakken had promised to ship it over days ago, and there was a small, pressurised cargo bay that should do just fine. It would be a tight fit, but Dementor would probably be OK for the relatively short flight to Tokyo.

Shego's face was grim, but her mood wouldn't have got any better if she knew the developments that were taking place over at the airport. Hastily requesting clearance for takeoff, the multi-coloured jet was already taxiing down the runway, refuelled and heading north. Hego knew that he would never be able to tail Shego without being caught, but he remembered something he had read a long time ago. Good hunters don't track their quarry; they wait for it to come to them.

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Yori sat in the main body of the prop-driven aircraft making its way across the Pacific Ocean. To an outsider, she appeared to be meditating, but inwardly she was fretting at the slow progress they were making. Ever since Kim's dramatic appearance yesterday, delays and setbacks had hindered her from getting Ron to where he needed to be. Bad weather over Middleton had delayed their departure for eleven hours, and when she saw the aircraft they were travelling in, she had thrown up her hands in frustration. It looked like it had been built in the fifties. Now, sitting on a pile of boxes in the cargo hold, she really began to appreciate how convenient the modern Yamanouchi transport and logistics system had been.

There was very little space in the belly of the aircraft; only a narrow corridor weaved its way from the cockpit right down to the cargo bay doors in the tail. Lying in a small, hollowed out area made marginally more comfortable by some old sacking draped across the crates and boxes filling the plane, Ron surreptitiously watched the ninja, sitting bolt upright as she had done since take off several hours ago.

Even wearing the traditional shinobi shozoku, the only concession to comfort being the facemask currently unhooked and hanging by her side, he could see how tense she was. He knew how important this was to her, the school was her life, and Master Sensei had been the only father figure she had known since early childhood. Now she was returning on a quest to save everything she held dear from some unspecified danger, Ron figured she had every right to be uptight.

For his part, he was more blasé about the whole situation. Just another mission like countless others he had been on now that Kim was back to her old self and on the team. As far as he was concerned there was nothing they couldn't handle. Even so, he couldn't wait to get this mission over with, he much preferred the carefree happy Yori to the driven neurotic version he had been dealing with for so long lately.

Even meditating, Yori was aware of Ron's scrutiny. His attention was disturbing her inner calm for many reasons and now was as good a time as any to address them.

Firstly, there was her irritation at his lack of urgency for the task before them. He was the Monkey Master, and as such would be the one to face whatever threat the prophecy was warning against. To her mind, it was time he grew up. He was too happy to let others take the lead when it was his rightful position, especially when Kim was around.

That was another problem Yori had. She just couldn't trust the girl. OK, so she was a hero who had saved the world several times before, but lets face it, she was hardly the most stable personality at the moment, what if she had a crisis of confidence just as Yori was relying on her? She didn't know Kim very well, mainly by reputation and Ron's eulogies, both of which she correctly assumed to be exaggerated. What she did know was how low Kim had been in recent weeks after her injury and subsequent media witch-hunt. True, she appeared to have recovered somewhat, wherever she had been had done her a power of good, and she was focussed on the mission, but her demeanour didn't fill the young ninja with confidence. There was a distance to her, as if part of her mind wished it were somewhere else. Yori could only hope she would become more committed when they actually arrived at their destination.

Then again, if Kim did turn out to be as single-minded as she was reported to be, it could raise further problems. From what she had heard, Kim had strong opinions on what was right or wrong, and wasn't open to compromise. There was a risk that her aims mightn't necessarily match those of the Yamanouchi dojo, or at least Yori's version of them, and would seek to impose her own moral code on a substantially different culture. The potential for a conflict of interests was obvious, and coloured every decision the young ninja made; but when the time came for Ron to step up and fulfil his destiny, she feared previous loyalties to his lifelong friend would taint his decision making.

She was stuck on the horns of a dilemma. She didn't have the resources to dispense with Kim's services, even if Ron would have begun to contemplate the idea which she knew he wouldn't. She wasn't really sure she even wanted to, the thought that someone else with more experience in this sort of thing backing her up was very comforting, but she didn't feel able to rely on her either. All she could do was to trust in the will of the Buddha. It didn't fill her with any confidence.

All these issues paled into insignificance, however, when compared to the elephant in the room that she had been ignoring for far too long. She had concentrated so hard on the 'where' and 'when' aspects of the prophecy, that she hadn't given the 'what' any consideration. Only now, with time running out, had she delved deeper into the ramifications of what lay ahead, and they chilled her to the bone. For weeks she had been satisfied with her original translation "By his actions, the lotus blade will be freed", but now she wasn't so sure.

On closer inspection, she had recently realised that there were several possible interpretations of that key phrase, and it changed everything. The etymological root was unclear, and the implications were terrifying. 'Deeds' or 'Decisions' were safe but 'Sacrifice' had connotations she didn't even want to think about.

Yori looked up, studying the blonde haired young man lying a few feet away. Feeling her gaze, he looked up and gave her that lop sided smile that caused her heart to flutter, triggering a shy smile of her own in response. Even now, his first concern was the welfare of his friends; it was one of the things that made her love him so much.

Ruthlessly she stifled that thought, now was not the time. Also, indulging in a relationship with someone whose maybe ex-girlfriend was sitting only a few feet away really wasn't going to help matters. Especially when said girlfriend probably still blamed Yori for causing them to separate in the first place.

Even so, there was something about the young man that touched the very core of her being. True, he was immature, lacked confidence and had a lackadaisical approach to life, but she figured they were faults that could be addressed. What couldn't be denied were his kindness, bravery and above all decency. Also, while occasionally annoying, his carefree approach to life was a breath of fresh air to a girl who had grown up in a rigid hierarchical, even patriarchal, society. Returning his smile with a sheepish grin of her own, she resolved that if any sacrifice were required, she would be the one to make it.

Unnoticed by either of the two in the cargo bay, Kim saw their shared smile, and noted the faint colouration in the young ninja's face. A faint feeling of jealousy flared in her heart at the implied intimacy between the two of them. She had never reacted well to sharing Ron's affections even before they were an item. Discovering his secret association with a ninja school had been something of a shock; the idea that he would have a facet of his life where she didn't feature was a levelling experience for her. Although she had quickly got over it once she realised it hadn't affected her relationship with him, there was a definite feeling of being excluded. This whole sitch was a Yamanouchi affair, she was just along for the ride, and she didn't feel comfortable about it. Also, she couldn't help blaming Yori a little for the estrangement between herself and Ron. True she had to bear some fault for jumping to the wrong conclusion regarding their relationship, but watching the young ninja surreptitiously, she was sure that Yori still held feelings for him.

It didn't help that she still had reservations over Yori's motivations. Ron was far too trusting for his own good, and would follow the Japanese girl into deadly danger without question or consideration for his own safety. True, he had been doing that for her for years, but that was different. Kim figured it was up to her to keep an eye on him, and if Yori pushed too hard then she would have to intervene.

Oblivious to the underlying conflicts and doubts affecting his passengers, the pilot happily continued his flight, just glad to be able to help the woman who had rescued his daughter after getting lost in the Peruvian Andes but, as the interminable hours passed by, the claustrophobic atmosphere and enforced inactivity only served to allow the tension to build up to fever-pitch levels.

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By the time the plane finally landed at the small private airfield that served as a front to the Yamanouchi School, Yori's frustration was boiling over. Even before the plane had finished taxiing, she had opened the side door, jumping out at the earliest opportunity, leaving the two Americans to scramble after her in unseemly haste.

"Hey Yori! Wait up!" Ron's cry halted her briefly as she waited impatiently for the others to catch up, earning herself a resentful look from Kim that just annoyed her even further.

"Let me guess, it will be our honour to walk." Ron's joke broke through her irritation and she flashed him a half smile at the reference to their first meeting. She was rewarded by a grin from the young man, while Kim looked on, once more feeling excluded from the friendly camaraderie between these two.

Seeing Ron interact with Yori made her feel sad, but not as much as she had expected. A gap had opened up between the two of them, and she felt that the Japanese girl looked to be filling the hole in his heart where she used to be. Instead of filling with jealous rage, however, she merely mourned the loss of carefree intimacy between them they used to share when just friends. She had finally admitted to herself that she and Ron just weren't compatible despite how much she wished they were, but things couldn't just go back to the way they were before they had started dating. She was beginning to believe she would never find someone with whom she could be happy and struggled to be glad on his behalf that maybe he could.

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Yori set a blistering pace. Unencumbered except for the tools of her trade, many of which were concealed about her person, she quickly led the group away from the trappings of civilization, into the foothills that marked the approach to the mountain she had called home for so many years. After two hours, they were starting to climb more steeply as they reached the mountain itself, and she finally called a halt.

Ron was suffering badly. Despite his first trip here having taught him to travel light when Yori was in charge, he still found the pace she had set challenging, and as soon as she signalled them to stop he collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath in a fashion that was almost bordering on pantomime. Kim on the other hand, to the ninja's irrational annoyance, looked even fresher than she did.

"You're pushing him too hard." Kim's reprimand went over the young man's head, as he lay on the ground gasping for breath. "He can't handle this level of pace for so long."

Yori turned back to face the angry redhead, her face calm.

"You think so?" Her voice rose in surprise at Kim's statement. "He is the Monkey Master, a little exercise won't hurt him. I think you underestimate his abilities."

Kim's hands dropped to her hips, her whole body posture exuding condescension. "We've been friends since we were six. I think I know him a bit better than you do."

"Hey, I am still here you know!" Both women ignored Ron's plaintive cry as they faced up to each other.

"Really? Yet you still fail to see what he is capable of! Amazing."

Kim's face reddened at the insult. "Oh I know what he can do believe me."

She leaned forward to emphasise her point. "I was there when he defeated an alien invasion. I know he beat down Warhawk and Warmonga after I'd been knocked out, but I also know the real story on how close that battle was. All those stories about him glowing blue and levitating; absolute rubbish. They're based on the testimony of one six year old girl who happened to be in the area and is a rabid Ron fan. The fact that some newspapers printed her fantasies verbatim doesn't make them true. He also didn't hurl them hundreds of feet into the air to collide with their spaceship. As far as I know Global Justice is still holding them somewhere."

Kim leaned in even further, her finger jabbing the young ninja in the chest as she made her final point.

"I was there, I saw what happened. I don't remember seeing you there at all!"

Yori's face remained steady. Only two points of colour on her pale cheeks displayed her anger at the disrespect she was being shown.

"I am well aware of the limits of his abilities." Yori kicked herself for rising to the bait. She should had anticipated Kim's protective reaction and forced herself to remain calm. Now wasn't the time to trigger a confrontation, there were more important things to worry about. "But I also know what he can achieve if he is given the chance."

"Do you? Do you really?" Kim wasn't ready to let this go now she was in full flow. "'Cos it looks to me as if you see him as some religious saviour who only needs to wave his little finger to make everything OK."

Yori opened her mouth but Kim hadn't finished yet.

"Whatever sitch you're leading us into, it's likely to be dangerous enough without piling unreasonable expectations on him!"

Only Ron's rapid intervention prevented things from spiralling even further out of control. Moving with an alacrity that surprised him, he picked himself up from the floor and positioned himself between the two women.

"Hokay, we ready to move on?" His forced cheeriness punctured the tense atmosphere that had developed between his companions, and by forcing them to break eye contact; he seized the initiative and changed the subject.

"It's that way, right?" he pointed down the path they had been following, directing his comment to Yori, and when she nodded, he set off, forcing the other two to follow in his wake. Yori hesitated only long enough to give Kim a look as if Ron's sudden burst of energy proved her point that he was far more capable than he liked to admit, before hurrying to take the lead, but inside she was silently thanking the Lady Amaterasu for his intervention.

Unseen by the others, she flushed as she admitted to herself that the bust up with Kim had been her fault. What kind of leader picked a fight with her team while on a mission? The kind that got her last team killed, the nagging voice in her head retorted. Ashamed at her failure to match up to the responsibilities of her position, she fervently wished that someone more senior was here to tell her what to do.

Kim watched the two of them set off once more, following on more slowly, catching up with Ron as he slowed his pace.

"Cut her some slack KP okay?" Ron kept his eyes on the black clad figure a few metres ahead while talking to his oldest friend. "This isn't just some mission for her, it's personal."

"That's what I'm worried about." Kim hissed back, not wanting Yori to overhear. "She's not thinking rationally, it's going to end in trouble."

Ron shrugged. "It's her home and family at stake, how rational would you be?" Giving Kim an apologetic style he quickened his pace slightly, leaving Kim to consider what he had said.

Looking back, her family had been threatened several times over the years, and she had never acted like Yori did. She had never overreacted because she had always known everything would work out, never even considered the possibility that things could end badly.

The prospect of failure to her had always been merely a theoretical outcome that happened to other people, so could be dismissed in her own mind as inconceivable. Looking back, she realised how fast and loose she had played with the people that mattered to her most. The thought of something happening to her family made her sick, reminding herself how she had felt when she thought Shego had hurt her brothers due to her own thoughtlessness. Her recent injury and subsequent collapse into depression had changed everything. It had opened her mind to the concept of failure, and she suddenly realised she could empathise with Yori's doubts. It made her look on the female ninja with new eyes, realising for the first time how young she really was to be carrying this burden. Yori's loss also brought home how lucky she had been that her loved ones had always escaped unscathed from all the danger she had exposed them to, especially Ron who had faithfully followed her while she faced up to some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet. Could she really judge Yori for exposing Ron to danger when she had been doing so for so many years?

Thinking of Ron made her watch the young man as he followed Yori down the trail. After a few minutes observation, it struck her that he was different somehow. Usually when they worked together, she took the lead, and he was perfectly happy to follow, relying on her instincts to warn them of trouble. With Yori, however, he was taking a much more active role. He was scanning the surrounding area as much as she was, the two of them working together in a way that he had never done with her. It came as something of a revelation that she had never expected Ron to pull his weight in Team Possible, their roles had been firmly segregated into Hero and Sidekick. Watching Ron and Yori was more like a partnership of equals with Yori expecting Ron to back her up and him acting accordingly.

It was a side of her personality she never liked confronting, but this was another example of how she tended to dominate everyone around her simply because she was always convinced she was right. Ron, Monique, even Wade to some extent were dragged along in her wake. It had got her into trouble in the past and, more recently, led to the break-up of her relationship with Ron yet she never seemed to learn. It only served to cement her feeling that there had been something wrong with their relationship from the start.

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Ever since landing in Japan, Shego questioned her decision to bring Dr Dementor along on this trip. Sure it had seemed a good idea at the time, she couldn't leave him free to warn Gemini about her plans after all, but he was proving such a burden that not for the first time, she was considering throwing him down one of the many cracks and fissures that were scattered across the mountain slopes, hinting at ancient volcanic activity, although it was now, very clearly, extinct. "Should have dropped him off with Drakken." She muttered to herself as the German super-villain moaned once more about the climb.

The two of them were about three quarters of the way up the mountain. Below them could be heard the faint roar of a waterfall somewhere to their left and the slopes were getting steeper with each step. Shego didn't actually know how to get to the Yamanouchi School, it had always been a closely guarded secret, but she had been hoping to find some clues to its whereabouts on the mountain. It was beginning to look like a fruitless journey.

"How much longer are you going to continue with this ridiculous farce?" The Doctor's voice was really starting to get on her nerves. Fighting down the urge to melt his tin helmet over his mouth, she ignored him and kept climbing.

"You know, you are in serious breech of the GenEvil convention." It was a point Dementor kept bringing up, as if she might have forgotten in the five minutes since he last mentioned it. Knowing what was coming next, she tried to block out his voice.

"As your prisoner, I cannot be compelled to betray my fellow evil-doers, nor be subjected to anything but cruel and unusual punishment." Dementor's voice took on a pious tone as he quoted the relevant clause verbatim. "I don't think being dragged up a mountain counts as unusual" he concluded.

Shego had had enough. She whirled round and grabbed the annoying villain by the throat.

"Listen to me shithead!" she snarled, thrusting her face up close to ensure he got the message. "Firstly, Gemini never signed the convention, so I doubt you're covered."

Her grip tightened causing Dementor's face to turn an unhealthy puce. "Secondly, do you honestly think Hench is going to give a flying fuck about how I treat someone involved in infiltrating his network?"

She pushed him away, his hand massaging his bruised throat while he struggled to catch his breath.

"Now shut up before someone hears us." she snarled

Dementor glared at her as she turned away, but Shego caught the look. "I wouldn't wish too hard that we get caught," she said as she once more started heading up the mountain, "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if Gemini catches you helping me."

A look of panic swept across the doctor's face at the thought of Gemini's renowned short temper when dealing with perceived traitors. He scrambled after his captor, from now on keeping his thoughts to himself.

With that distraction dealt with, Shego once more set her mind to finding any clues to the location of the hidden school. "It's never like this in the movies." She muttered to herself, "As far as I can tell, the whole mountain is desert..."

A tiny sound stopped her in full flow. A pebble, clattered over some rock, a few meters above them. Shego's senses where instantly on high alert, and she signalled Dementor to stop. The older man sank to the ground, grateful to have a break from the strenuous climb, but Shego ignored him, every instinct she had honed over the years was screaming "DANGER!"

There was nothing specific, no footsteps or voices disturbed the peace, but something told her that they were about to be discovered. This definitely wasn't part of her plan. She had intended to follow someone to the school, not be taken there as a prisoner. The thought of being back in Gemini's clutches sent a shiver down her spine.

Something told her she only had seconds to act. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Dementor was focussing on removing a stone from his boot, the backpack she had been making him carry lying by his side. With his attention diverted, she took her chance. There was no wayshe could save her belongings but she could save herself. Nearby was a small sinkhole, just large enough to squeeze through. Wasting no time she slipped over the edge, hoping to brace herself against the narrow walls of the vent that led down into the mountain. She instantly wished she had chosen another hiding place, however, as the drop proved steeper than expected and she slid down several metres before jolting to a stop when she hit a ledge. Taking deep breaths to counter the rapid heartbeat caused by her impromptu fall, she risked a brief flash of green light to see where she had landed.

The volcanic vent she had jumped into was ancient, possibly thousands of years old, and dropped at a 30 degree angle for about 20 yards before levelling out into the small ledge she was now standing on. About six feet away, the drop continued down into the depths of the mountain. All in all, Shego figured she could have done much worse, even if she had left Dementor a sitting duck. That was his problem. If she were lucky, whoever it was that found him would take him straight back to Gemini, allowing her to follow them right into the secret ninja school. All she had to do was remain hidden until they left.

Dementor's gasp of surprise at being caught was almost inaudible in Shego's hiding place, but the voice of his captor was all too clear, as if he were standing right at the top of the vent.

"Why Herr Doktor, what a pleasant surprise!"

"Alpha" Shego thought to herself, and suddenly her hiding place seemed much less secure.

The conversation was muffled as the man moved away from the vent entrance, but Shego had no doubts that the mad scientist was being questioned about what he was doing here, and why. She had no misconceptions about his ability or willingness to keep her name out of the affair. Dementor would give her away in a heartbeat in an attempt to save his own skin, however futile that may be. Judging by the speed with which footsteps approached her hiding place, he didn't put up any resistance at all. She barely had time to register the hiss of an activated flare before she saw a shadow cast over her sanctuary. She barely had time to slip over the edge of the ledge, before the smoking light was dropped down the hole, landing on the ledge she had just vacated. Hanging by her fingertips, she managed to rest one toe on a tenuous protrusion, taking much of her weight off her arms.

"Nothing here sir." The call was repeated by several voices as all the nearby hiding places were checked. The thief breathed a sigh of relief as she realised Dementor hadn't noticed where she had gone, but Alpha hadn't finished yet.

"Shego! I know you can hear me!" The voice was quite clear, as by chance he was standing very close to his quarry's hiding place.

"I know this mountain like the back of my hand, I grew up here!"

Shego processed that surprising bit of information. "Yamanouchi. That explains a few things," she thought to herself. It also confirmed her fears that Gemini and Yamanouchi were working together.

"Those tunnels are a labyrinth, you'd never find your way through them," the voice continued, "and even if you did find the secret path, you won't get past Grawl." There was a hesitation as if the speaker were contemplating something. "Actually, I'd love to see your face if you try to set him on fire." He laughed at some private joke.

The confidence in the man's voice worried Shego more than the words. If he really were Yamanouchi, he would have an extensive knowledge of the area. The fact that he knew about a secret way into the school through the lava tunnels hinted that he was genuine, although she took comfort in his mistake. After all, until he had mentioned it, she had had no idea of its existence.

"I'll give you one chance to give yourself up." Shego snorted at the man's presumption. He really thought she was going to throw herself on his tender mercies? As if!

"You have until the count of three!" The voice continued, "One ... Two ... Three!"

There was a couple of seconds pause and then "Ok boys, use 'em."

Through the smoke of the flare, Shego saw three small round objects drop through the hold above her head. They landed on the ledge with a metallic ring, bouncing a couple of times before coming to a halt. Her eyes widened in shock as she recognised the fragmentation grenades for what they were. Releasing her hold on the ledge, she let her body slide down the much steeper slope hoping to catch herself on the small protrusion of rock she had been standing on. She missed. With quickly increasing acceleration, she began to slide down the vent unable to stop herself even as the explosions went off high above her head.

Arms and legs scraped on the walls of the vent as she desperately tried to halt her descent, but only managed to slow her fall marginally, until it came to an abrupt end as she dropped through the ceiling of an old magma chamber.

"Oh Crap!" was all she had time to say, before hitting the floor of the chamber with a bone-crunching thud. Fortunately, she had been falling feet first, and managed to roll with the momentum, preventing serious damage. Pushing herself to her feet, rubbing one hip that had hit the stone floor particularly hard, she shook her hair from her face and took stock.

There wasn't a sound to be heard, so she risked a flare of green light, raising her glowing hand above her head to illuminate the surrounding area. Wherever she was, the space was too large to light completely so she stood in a globe of sickly green light encased in blackness.

To anyone less observant, there would have been no clue as to which direction to take, but Shego had an intimate knowledge of her plasma powers, and quickly noted the subtle distortions in its flow. There was a breeze. It was too faint to be felt directly, but its effect on the plasma flame erupting from her hand was clear. Edging slowly towards the source of the air current, she finally reached the edge of the cavern and found an exit tunnel. It was rough, presumably left over from some ancient lava flow, but she could now feel the movement in the air over her face. Somewhere there was a way out.

Progress was slow as she worked her way down the natural tunnel; the floor was uneven and treacherous, especially given the low light levels available from her Go glow. She had no way of knowing if she were going in the right direction, or even if it would lead to a way out, but what else was she going to do. Anyway, she figured that if air could get in, there was a good chance that someone could get out, especially if that someone had the ability to blast her way through solid rock.

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The closer Yori led her companions to the secret entrance to the school, the more nervous she got. The idea of getting past the waterfall without being intercepted was farcical, but there was no other way, or at least not one she wanted to contemplate. All she could hope for was that when the confrontation took place, the three of them would be able to handle it.

There were some reasons for optimism. Whatever Ron had said to Kim seemed, in Yori's eyes at least, to have calmed down the volatile heroine, and she now appeared to be more accepting of the situation, even Ron looked to have appreciated the seriousness of the situation, he was taking a much more active role in scanning the surrounding area for enemies, but she knew all too well that if a Yamanouchi ninja didn't want to be seen, the first thing you would know about their presence would be when they attacked.

The ambush, when it came, was devastatingly effective, six ninjas appearing to materialise out of thin air just as the small party passed their position. Only Yori's unconventional route, and Kim's incredible reflexes, prevented them from being overrun. As it was, however, the attackers were some metres away from their targets when they revealed themselves, giving Kim a fraction of a second to react to their appearance.

Yelling a warning to her companions, she took the attack to the ambushers, seizing the initiative in a way that no one else could possibly have achieved. Expecting, his target to be a sitting duck, the luckless assassin nearest to her failed to realise he had lost the element of surprise. Leaping to the attack, he realised too late that his target was no longer where he thought it was. Unable to change direction in mid-air, he started to twist into a more defensive position, but Kim beat him to it. Grabbing one foot as it passed over her head, she pulled it close to her body while twisting her shoulders resulting in her luckless victim being redirected straight into a tree.

Not waiting for the sickening crunch that heralded the impact, she let her momentum spin her round to face the other black clad attacker that had been targeting her.

Shaken by the speed with which this young woman had despatched his colleague, he hesitated for a second before screaming his defiance and launched an attack of his own, the wooden sticks he held in each hand blurring as he tried to bring down his quarry.

Unable to match the speed of her ally, Yori still managed to evade the initial attack but at the expense of separating herself from the man she was sworn to protect. Realising her error, she whipped her metal fans from her belt, snapping them open with an ugly metallic ring. Snarling her defiance, she launched her own attack, no attempt to hold back, she was just seeking to cut her way through to where she could fulfil her oath.

Both her opponents were armed, one with a six foot long bo-staff, the other wielding a Nunchaku. They approached from different directions to avoid interfering with each other, seeking to penetrate the whirling wall of steel of Yori's fans. There was no way through, but neither could the young girl make any progress without exposing herself to attack. Frustrated and desperate, she upped her tempo in an attempt to break free, only to be met by an equally robust response from her attackers.

Watching the battle from the mountain slope, the squad's team leader clenched his fist in annoyance. What should have been a textbook ambush was rapidly turning into a disaster. On the right Yori was exhibiting the skills that had made her star pupil of the entire school, holding two fully trained ninja's at bay, threatening at any moment to escape his trap. Even worse, his left flank was being annihilated by the red headed devil Kim Possible. He had heard of her, of course, but could never have imagined the raw power and agility encased in her slight frame.

Even the gaijin Monkey Master was a problem. Unable to emulate the martial skills of his companions, he was, nevertheless, causing his opponents difficulties. Initially caught by surprise, he had somehow managed to wriggle free of his attackers clutches and was currently giving a master-class in evasion. Every skill he had ever learned, either on the football field or dodging automated lasers in Senor Senior's lair, was being utilised as he ducked and weaved every attempt to pin him down.

With a gesture, the squad leader committed his reserves, two more Yamanouchi, to shore up his exposed left flank. Now facing three fully trained assassins' Kim was once more on the defensive, although every nuance of her body language expressed a calm assurance that she would win through in time.

Even with these reinforcements, the situation was not clear-cut. Both flanks were now bending back on the centre, as the pressure exerted by the two women began to tell. Concluding that there was no other way, he launched his own attack.

Fully engaged with her three attackers, Kim was starting to work up a sweat. The men facing her were very good. A week ago, she wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds against them. Now however, with her confidence restored, she was actually enjoying the workout.

The attack, when it came, was literally out of the blue. The squad leader had used the high ground advantage to position himself above her, launching himself at her back as she drove back one of his men in her attempt to come to the Monkey Master's aid, he flew through the air, his leg extended and locked, aimed directly at the middle of her back.

Kim couldn't have said what warned her of this silent threat, but by some instinct, she managed to twist her body just in time. The result was that instead of a solid hit smashing her to the ground, the foot glanced off her shoulder and the two of them crashed to the ground in an ungainly heap.

The momentum bowled the slight teenager down towards the river, still entangled in the flailing arms of her foe. The two of them continued to trade blows, even as they rolled down the hill until they jolted to a halt, stopped by a tree stump on the edge of the bank.

Kim recovered first, and pushed herself to her knees. Before she could get any further however, an arm grabbed her top as the man beneath her refused to give in. Slapping his hand away, she threw a punch, determined to end this fight as quickly as possible.

It never reached its target. Blocked by the prone ninja's arm, he quickly grabbed her wrist. Recognising the disadvantage he was in, he didn't try to overpower his more skilled opponent. Instead he rolled over the edge of the bank, using his greater mass to drag her with him. With a startled cry from the surprised girl, they both fell into the fast moving water with a large splash and were swept away.

"KIM!" Ron's cry as he saw his best friend disappear distracted Yori at a critical point. Unable to help herself, she looked away from her attackers to see what had distressed him. It was a costly mistake. The end of the Bo staff slipped under her guard, catching her elbow. Her fan dropped from nerveless fingers and, barely managing to jerk her attention back to the matter in hand, she somehow blocked the follow up attack, once more conceding space as she sought to regain the use of her damaged arm. Down to a single weapon, and still facing two armed attackers her position looked grim. It looked even grimmer when the three ninjas that had been fighting Kim converged on the frantically struggling Ron Stoppable.

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The tunnel went on for miles. There were the occasional branching of ways or offshoots from the main tunnel, but using the breeze as a guide, Shego continued for what felt like hours although it was hard to keep track of time in the darkness. At first, all she could hear was the echo of her boots on the uneven rock floor but as time passed, something else began to make itself heard. A low level rumble, it took her a while to realise what it was, the sound of running water.

A her lips twisted in a satisfied smirk as she reasoned that if water could get in, she might be able to get out, and she quickened her pace in anticipation. She had only taken a few steps however, when A low guttural roar echoed through the tunnels causing her to freeze. There was something else alive down here and, from what Alpha had said; she really didn't want to run into it. She waited for a few seconds, listening intently to see if was anywhere near, but after hearing nothing more, she figured it was just a trick of the tunnels carrying the sound over long distances and resumed her journey.

The breeze was definitely getting stronger, and the sound of the underground river louder, until she finally reached the end of a tunnel. It opened up into a vast cavern, the floor of which was an unknown distance below her. She had two choices, up or down and to be honest, neither seemed too attractive.

She was still considering her next move when she heard something on the rocks below. A scraping sound that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to prickle. She held her breath and listened intently. There! She heard it again and it was getting closer. Snuffing out her glow, she backed away from the edge, back into the tunnel.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realised she could actually see vague details. Somewhere far above was a crack in the mountain, letting a tiny amount of light into the darkness. Shego could just about determine where the tunnel ended and waited, holding her breath, and hoping that whatever it was would just pass her by.

The wait between each sound simply heightened her anxiety as each time it sounded closer and closer. First was a "Ching!" as if some great claw were taking a grip on the rock face, followed by a low humming growl, and the sound of scrabbling feet as whatever it was pulled its way up the cliff. In her head, she pictured some great apelike creature hauling its way up the sheer face of the precipice, huge claws attached to long hairy arms, its jaw filled with slavering teeth. Pressing herself back into the rock behind her, she gathered her power within her, ready to release it in one devastating blast.

She saw the claw attach itself to the lip of the tunnel edge. It looked several inches long, suggesting that whatever creature it was attached to was huge. The growling was louder now, although the echo in the cave, and the roaring noise of the water below made it hard to judge.

Seconds passed, before she heard something scuffing on the rock below, almost immediately followed by a head appearing over the cliff edge, one pale orb glowing dimly in the gloom.

"Yaarrrgh!" Shego's scream filled the tunnel, her plasma igniting in a bright green glow as she summoned all her power and sent a great bolt of green fire shooting down the tunnel. Even as she fired, she finally saw the face of the creature, jerking up her arm in a desperate attempt to adjust her aim.

"Eeeep!" The high pitched squeak elicited by the great fireball streaking over its head and shooting off into the cavern behind was drowned out by Shego's own expletive.

"Shit Possible, you trying to get killed?"

The vague shape she had taken for some monster's head was just the teenagers hair, the single eye a lamp attached to a band wrapped around her head.

Both women glared at each other, as they fought to get their breathing and heartbeat under control, the adrenalin coursing through their veins preventing coherent speech for several seconds.

"Shego! What are you doing here?" Kim was the first to recover. Still hanging onto the rope of her trusty grappling hook, the teenager had nearly let go of her lifeline when she first saw the green fireball heading for her head. Luckily it had missed by inches, but she had serious concerns for the state of her hair.

"ME? What about you? You're supposed to be recuperating!" Shego's hands were shaking from the pent up stress that she had been building up over the past ten minutes or so. She still couldn't believe that the girl she had seen off at the airport less that two days ago was here under an extinct volcano deep in the Japanese countryside. I mean, what were the odds?

"Look, if you've finished trying to blow my head off, how about giving me a hand?" Kim drew the older woman's attention back to the fact that she was hanging onto a ledge above a drop measured in hundreds of feet.

"Do I look like a servant?" Shego was still snippy from the fright she had been given, but she sighed and headed over anyway, grabbing Kim under her arms and pulling her to safety.

"T..Thanks" Kim stuttered as she flopped over the edge onto the rock floor. No longer warmed by the exertion of scaling the cliff, she shivered involuntarily as the cold draught cut through her sodden clothing.

"Why are you wet?" Shego's exasperation was clearly evident as she rubbed her hands dry on her catsuit.

"C..C..'Cos I fell in the river!" Kim stammered. She thought this should have been obvious, Shego's eyebrow twitching at the sarcastic retort.

"Hey, I'm not the one at risk from Hypothermia here!" Now Shego had got over the shock of seeing the redhead, seeing her doing a drowned rat impression was initially amusing, but she soon realised that falling into a mountain river in the middle of winter was potentially dangerous.

"Stand still, and don't move. This is going to be difficult enough without you wriggling about." Her voice changed from it's usual sardonic tone to a much more dictatorial tone. She took Kim's head in her hands and looked her straight in the eye. "I mean it. If I misjudge this, I could set you on fire."

Kim swallowed nervously as she realised how serious Shego was, but the older woman didn't wait. She pulled her young charge into a close embrace and closed her eyes. Kim didn't notice anything for a second or two, and was feeling rather self-conscious, wrapped in a hug with her arch-enemy. She stood, her chin resting on Shego's shoulder and wondered what was supposed to happen.

Gradually, she realised that the light levels around them were increasing. Previously unseen details slowly becoming clearer as a soft haze of green light appeared to materialise around them. It puzzled her for a while, before realising that she was seeing Shego's Go glow for the very first time. She had seen it evidenced by the other members of the superhero team, but with Shego, it had always been manifested in her plasma powers, this was the first time she had seen it in its pure form.

Suddenly she gasped with surprise. Every nerve-ending in her body began sending signals to her brain, the hairs on her arms standing erect as an intense tingling sensation played across her skin, causing her muscles to twitch involuntarily.

"Keep still!" Shego hissed in her ear as she pulled the teenager even closer, all the while battling to maintain control as her power sought to fully manifest itself in its customary green flame. She brushed her hand through the hair on the back of Kim's head, running the strands through her fingers and pulling the teenager's head into her shoulder. Faint tendrils of steam began to rise from Kim's clothes as the gently warmed air began to have its effect, but Kim wasn't paying any attention to that. Instead, she was battling the suddenly intense stimulation she was experiencing from her close proximity to the other woman as each of her senses became highly responsive.

She could hear the thump-thump-thump of Shego's heart, the soft susurrations of the older woman's breath in her ear. The soft fragrance of Shego's perfume, usually so subtle, now overpowering her mind with it's musky scent.

Then there was her touch. Feather-light caresses from Shego's hands were sending shivers down her spine, causing her skin to react with goose bumps wherever they passed. She was very aware of Shego's hip brushing her inner thigh, the soft mound of her breast pressing against her body, every touch seemed to trigger a response deep within her core. Biting her lip, she stifled a whimper of pleasure as her erogenous zones all lit up at once under the intense stimulation of the power flowing around her. Her legs trembled as the feelings intensified, her body reacting in a totally inappropriate way as waves of ecstacy flowed through her being.

Shego felt the girl sag against her, silently cursing this added complication, totally unaware of the effect her power was having on her companion. Too focused to even spare a second to curse, she just concentrated on holding back the raging pulse of power that was seeking to break free. Of all the members of Team Go, she had the ability to project her power externally. Normally this was extremely useful, especially in her chosen profession, but in cases like this, she struggled to keep control. Sweat was beginning to bead on her brow with the mental strain of maintaining the delicate balance required.

Kim lost all awareness except for the waves of stimulation shooting through her body. All she could concentrate on was her attempt to stifle the groan of ecstacy building in her throat. Unconsciously pressing herself against the other woman's body, she bit down harder on her lip, the coppery taste of blood in her mouth only slightly deadening the euphoria she was feeling.

Eventually, with a gasp of effort, Shego pushed the two of them apart. She was exhausted with the strain and staggered away seeking the support of a wall to lean on, giving Kim a chance to regain control of herself.

Chest heaving as her nerve endings continued to spark, the cheerleader took several minutes to regain control of her voice.

"What the hell was that?" she gasped, left bewildered by the effect it had had on her body.

"Fucking difficult, thats what." Shego's reply characteristically snarky as she leaned up against the wall gasping for breath. "Don't expect me to do it again OK?"

Kim shuddered at the thought of going through that again, uncomfortably aware of how stimulating her body had found the whole experience. It took her some time before she could get her mind back on the mission; the feel of her clothes against her skin just amplified the tingling sensation she was feeling all over her body, especially in areas she would rather not think about. It was a very self-conscious young woman who followed her older companion back to the tunnel's edge once she regained her composure.

Shego surveyed the situation. There were obviously only two choices before them, up or down, and judging from the direction Kim had come, that really only left one.

"Up it is then." She looked over her shoulder to check that Kim was behind her then started to edge her way out onto the cliff face, tentatively feeling for handholds, all too aware of the long drop below.

Kim watched for a while before edging her own way out to the tunnel edge. The sensations were starting to recede and her mind slowly regained focus on the situation they were facing

"Okay, so how about we do it the easy way now?"

Shego stopped and looked back, to see the teenager pull her hairdryer from her belt. Pointing it up the cliff face, she triggered the mechanism that sent the grappling hook shooting up into the darkness, catching on the rough rock surface far above with a metallic crunch.

"You go first, I'll follow." Kim suggested, watching as the older woman reached out and grabbed the thin line. With the rope to aid her, Shego quickly vanished into the darkness above. Giving her a few seconds lead, Kim followed, the automatic rewinder reeling in the line as she went. Shego cringed a bit as she felt Kim's weight on the rope below, but reasoned the teenager knew how much of a load the line could take and continued to climb.

After about eighty meters or so, she came to another old lava tube running into the rock. Above her loomed the ominous shadow of an overhang that looked impassable. Taking the hint, she pulled herself into the dark tunnel and waited for Kim to catch up.

As the redhead appeared out of the gloom, Shego reached out pulled her into the refuge of the tunnel. As soon as she was secure, Kim pressed another switch on her hair dryer and the grapple released itself, quickly being reeled in by the winder mechanism. It was a tool Shego had witnessed time and again, but never from this close, and she had to admit it was an amazing piece of engineering. Her fingers twitched with the urge to take it apart and see how it worked.

Once she had stowed her grapple back in her belt, Kim gestured Shego to take the lead, switching her headlamp back on while Shego lit the way with her own version of the human torch.

They had been walking for maybe five minutes before Kim remembered what she had been going to ask before Shego's drying technique had driven all other thoughts from her mind.

"Shego, what are you doing here?" For the life of her, Kim couldn't figure out what Shego would be doing in Japan.

"Gemini's here. He's got something I want." Shego's reply was nonchalant, as if it were no big deal, but Kim was having none of it.

"Gemini? What's he doing here?"

"I dunno, something to do with a hookup between WEE and Yamanouchi according to Dementor. Didn't make much sense to me at the time, but I'm beginning to think there's actually something in it now."

Maybe that's why they jumped Ron, Yori and me." Kim speculated. "From what Yori was saying, I assumed it was Ron they were after."

"What would WEE want with the doofus?" Shego's incredulity all too obvious from the tone of her voice.

"Not WEE, Yamanouchi, we were jumped by a squad of ninjas. That's how I ended up in the river." Shego couldn't help but chuckle at the hurt in Kim's voice at the suggestion that she could be defeated by any of Gemini's goons, but there was something in her statement that didn't add up.

"But I thought that Japanese girl, Yori was it, was Yamanouchi."

Kim sighed, "She is. Apparently there's some kind of power struggle going on at the moment. She thinks Ron is the key to sorting it all out, I'm not really very clear on the details."

"Oh that's just great." Shego's notoriously short temper snapped on hearing this news. "So now we're walking into a civil war between ninjas? This just gets better and better."

"You never know." Kim tried looking on the bright side. "They might be too busy fighting each other to notice us."

That earned her a look. It reminded her more of Ms Go the teacher than Shego the master thief, she couldn't help giggling at the thought.

"Right, and this Yori thinks the buffoon is the one to sort everything out? She been puffing a bit too much on the hash pipe or what?"

Kim ignored the slur on her friends. "I dunno, its all some Mystical Monkey Power thing apparently.." but Shego didn't give her time to finish her sentence.

"Oh God, not that crap again. I got enough of that from Monty without you drivelling on about it too."

Kim shrugged. After all, it wasn't her idea. "Didn't hear you complaining when he took down Warhawk and Warmonga. How do you explain that if there isn't something in it huh?" but Shego wasn't having any of it.

"Yeah right. And I suppose you think I was just standing there watching? Or that Drakken's roses didn't have a narcoleptic poison on their thorns that was already starting to affect them? Don't tell me you've started believing all that levitation crap they printed! I didn't think you hit your head that hard."

"No! But he still helped take them down after I had been knocked out. Even drugged, they were pretty tough." Kim was determined that her companion should recognise the contribution Ron had made in ending the alien invasion.

"So he's picked up a few moves over the years, it doesn't mean its because of some weird monkey mojo bullshit!" Shego still wasn't buying it. "He should have learned something watching the two of us fight so often!"

Shego hadn't finished, and Kim was looking to butt in to make her own point, but neither got a chance to speak. A shattering roar echoed through the tunnel, loud enough to drown out both their voices and the sound of the underground river far below.

"What the fuck was that?" Shego whispered, sharing a fearful look with her companion.

"Nothing I want to meet!" Kim replied, speaking in hushed, fearful tones. I don't think we want to go this way after all."

"I think we do." Recalling Alpha's words on the mountainside, Shego figured this must be teh way out. "That must be Grawl."

"Who's Grawl?"

"Dunno, but according to Alpha, we need to get past him if we want to reach Yamanouchi." Shego wasn't very enamoured of the idea. "Unless you know another way?"

Kim had to concede that she didn't. She had only been to the ninja school once, she had been relying on Ron or Yori to show her the way.

"Just my luck." Shego muttered as she once more took the lead. She thought about turning off her flame, but reasoned that whatever it was it could probably see a lot better in the dark than she could, and instead made it burn even brighter so as to illuminate as much of the passageway as possible as she headed into the depths.

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Yori came to with a groan. She had a splitting headache, and took a few moments to remember where she was. The ropes around her wrists and ankles soon told her the situation, and she opened her eyes to find herself lying on the ground next to a worried looking Ron.

"You OK Yori?" he asked anxiously. "You took a hell of a beating."

Yori closed her eyes briefly as she assessed her condition. She could feel blood running down her cheek from a blow to the head she had never seen coming. Her arms and legs too felt like hell as she had frantically tried to fend off the blows from the bo-staff after sacrificing her last fan in disabling the wielder of the nunchuku.

Looking back at Ron, she gave him a weak smile. "I'll live." She said, injecting her voice with an upbeat tone she wasn't feeling inside. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ron sounded depressed as he contemplated his own failure. The fact that it had taken five ninjas to corner him was inconsequential in his eyes at his failure to help his friends.

"Good, you are awake." The leader of the squad had heard their conversation and walked over to where his two captives lay.

"Hirotake!" Yori spat, "what are you doing, can't you see who this is?"

"The Monkey Master's reputation precedes him." His bow at the hogtied young man seemed somewhat inappropriate given the circumstances. "But our orders were clear."

"Who's orders? Master Akiyama, Master Miyamoto? I cannot believe they would resort to such methods." There were tears in her voice as she faced the reality that the facade of a united Yamanouchi brotherhood was being ripped away by factional infighting. "I certainly wouldn't have thought that you of all people would become involved."

Ron alternated his view between his friend and this stranger. Not being able to speak Japanese, he had no idea what they were talking about, but the accusation and sensation of hurt betrayal he sensed from Yori suggested something bad.

"Do you think you could all, you know, speak English?" He didn't like the feeling of exclusion, but was apprehensive of asking his captors for any concessions given the perilous situation he found himself in. He needn't have worried; Hirotake's response was calm and courteous.

"Of course Stoppable San. I apologise for my initial rudeness."

He bowed once more and gestured to two of his men to untie his legs.

"I am sorry we had to meet this way, I wish the circumstances could have been more amenable."

"Yeah, me too." Ron grumbled, even as he was pulled to his feet. Yori too was helped up, although both their arms remained tied, leaving them with no doubt as to their status as prisoners.

"Please do not try to escape. I regret the use of violence, but will not hesitate to use every means I have at my disposal to ensure that you reach the school as I have been ordered."

Ron blinked. "Dude, that's where we were going anyway. Couldn't you like just have asked us politely?"

"My orders were clear."

"Whose orders Hirotake?" Yori pressed but the young man didn't have time to answer.

"Those of my master!" The voice came from behind them, causing both captives to turn to see who this newcomer was.

Ron thought the voice sounded familiar, but didn't recognize the man, dressed as he was in full WEE uniform, the alpha symbol prominent on his chest denoting his rank as Gemini's right hand man. Yori however, didn't have any difficulty.

"Fukushima!" The hatred in her voice brought a gloating smile to the man's face as he mocked her predicament.

"Yori, Yori. You'll never change. Always the naïve fool." Her eyes glared at him as he slowly circled around them. "It was this quaint adherence to rigid moral mores that required us to restrain you in this way."

He then turned his attention to the fair haired man standing beside her.

"So outsider, you finding your welcome here a little different from last time?"

Ron's eyes widened as he suddenly recognised the man who had betrayed him to Monkey Fist on his first visit to the school. It also hardened his attitude. He had beaten this little prick all those years ago; he certainly wasn't frightened of him now. Straightening his shoulders, he didn't dignify his captor with an answer, simply spitting on the ground as a demonstration of his contempt.

Yori turned back to the squad leader who had captured them.

"You associate with this traitor?" She couldn't believe that someone as honourable as Hirotake would do something like this.

"Things change Yori San." The man bowed once more, this time in apology at the young girl's fury. "When you see what I have seen, then you will understand."

With that final comment, he signalled his men and they began to lead the two prisoners towards the hidden entrance to the Yamanouchi School. Yori looked so dejected and Ron cursed that he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to give her hand a squeeze, but with his arms tied behind his back, the best he could do was briefly to rub his elbow up and down her arm. It brought a pathetically grateful half smile to her face, she appreciated the gesture, but then she didn't know what he did. That Kim was still out there somehow and would surely mount a rescue, and that still concealed in his pocket was Team Possible's secret weapon. Rufus had tapped his leg a couple of times, letting him know that his pet was aware of the situation.

Their guards were considerate in their treatment of their prisoners, making every effort to ensure that they didn't stumble, leading them behind the waterfall, and down the long passageway that led to the secret caldera that concealed the school.

Formed by the collapse of an ancient magma chamber, it wasn't the main crater of the extinct volcano; that was much further up the mountain, beyond the tree line. This far down, the climate was more clement, especially sheltered as it was by the rock walls that surrounded it, allowing trees to grow that would otherwise only be found at much lower altitudes. As the party walked down the path, they passed one such grove of trees, resplendent with white blossom. They were the winter cherry trees Rufus had seen in his vision.

Ron nudged Yori's arm, getting her attention.

"The blossom hasn't fallen yet, we're not too late."

"It remains until the first winter storm" Yori said, "it should be any day now."

"It will be tonight." Hirotake interjected, having overheard the exchange. Both Ron and Yori wondered how he could be so sure, but he moved away before either of them got the chance to ask him.

As they entered the compound, they passed a lifesize statue of Toshimiru, defending the entrance with drawn Katana, dressed in full battle armour. Each ninja bowed deeply as they passed, giving respect to the founder of their clan. Ron and Yori were led to one of the buildings surrounding the main training area, placed inside one of the rooms and left alone, although they could see the shadows of guards through the paper walls. Their bonds were released, but there was no chance to escape.

"Stoppable san, I am sorry I failed you." Yori's black mood had returned with a vengeance. She had been counting on there being disagreements between the factions that made up the elder council, but from what she had seen, they were united in opposing the true Monkey Master. She didn't understand it, something momentous had obviously happened, but if even the moderates such as Hirotake were in agreement with the accord, it meant that she now had no friends left to call on.

Ron moved over to where the young ninja was kneeling. Not knowing quite what to do, he sat down beside her and put an arm around her neck. He felt her shiver under his touch, and giving her arm a squeeze; he pulled her close so that her head came to rest on his shoulder.

He could feel her shake as the sobs convulsed through her body, silent tears leaking from her eyes. Her vulnerability sent conflicting emotions through his mind. His heart aching for her misery, while his body reacted to the soft feel of her skin and faint scent of summer flowers that rose from her hair. Hugging her tight, he first rested his chin on the top of her head, before moving to place a kiss on her crown. Pulling her tight once more, he tried to give some comfort while she struggled to regain her composure.

Yori let herself wallow for a while, the pressure of leading in the face of such overwhelming opposition having finally become too much to handle. She felt his kiss like a tingle through her entire being, and the thought that she had placed him in so much danger was unbearable.

"It'll be OK Yori, Kim is still out there, she'll save us, she always does." Ron whispered in her ear so that the guards outside wouldn't hear but the words had little effect. The river Kim had fallen into was notorious for drowning people, the currents in the water, fuelled by the waterfall, were too strong for anyone to escape, and the whole river disappeared underground about half a mile away from where Kim had fallen. The only time they were likely to see Kim again would be if her body was washed out further down the mountain when the torrent re-emerged.

"Plus," Ron continued, unaware of the negative thoughts running through his friend's head, "we have Team Possible's secret weapon."

"uhuh, uhuh." Rufus popped his head out of Ron's pocket and gave her a toothy grin.

Yori couldn't help but chuckle at the eager face of the naked molerat, but the sight of the gold ring still circling his head quickly sobered her as it reminded her of the impending doom that was facing the world. It also stiffened her resolve. To try her best and to fail in the attempt would be an honourable end to her life. To not even try, even if she lived through the aftermath, would place an ignominious stain on her karma that would take many cycles of the cosmic wheel to eradicate.

Pushing herself up, reluctant to leave the comforting folds of his embrace but determined to face her fate full on, she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hai, Stoppable San, you are right. We must not give in to despair."

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The light was beginning to fade when the door to their prison opened once more. Hirotake and Fukushima were both there, as black clad ninjas pulled Ron and Yori to their feet. In silence, they were led out into the courtyard, and then through the school towards a small grove of trees. The wind was beginning to pick up, even in the sheltered surrounds of the crater, and the first few blossom flowers were beginning to fall.

The trail led them through the trees towards the edge of the crater. Yori was puzzled, she had lived here since childhood and knew every inch of the place, but she couldn't think of any reason to head this way, there was nothing out here.

They continued until they reached the crater wall. Yori gasped as she saw two guards standing waiting for them. As they approached one of them pushed a section of the rock which swivelled on some concealed mechanism revealing a doorway that led into the mountain.

"Wha..?" her confused exclamation was matched by Ron's "Cool!" as they ducked under the low lintel and were led down a dark passageway, dimly lit with torches. It led down about a hundred feet or so before opening into a large chamber. Lined up around the edge stood the full compliment of Yamanouchi School, with a small cluster of WEE guards standing around Gemini looking very uncomfortable; but it wasn't this that caused Ron to gasp with shock and stagger as he stepped across the threshold. As soon as he entered the chamber, he could feel a buzzing sensation in his mind, as if something extremely powerful was trying to gain access to his brain. He couldn't tell what it was, but from the sudden jerk in his pocket, he knew Rufus could feel it too.

There was a slight disturbance behind them as Fukashima, WEE's Alpha agent, entered and headed towards his boss, pushing a very dishevelled looking Dr Dementor ahead of him. As he reached the small WEE contingent, he shoved Dementor hard in the back causing the metal helmetted scientist to crash to his knees at Gemini's feet.

The WEE leader quirked an eyebrow at this display, even as Alpha threw a distinctly patterned bag to the ground.

"It appears the good doctor was aiding a certain thief who thinks you have something that belongs to her." He opened his hand and let the pins of a score or so grenades fall to the floor. "I don't think she will be bothering us any further" he added with a smirk. Gemini didn't respond, but his demeanour showed his approval as his number one joined the cadre of guards around him, leaving the two prisoners the centre of everyone's attention.

The room was large, and the lighting not bright enough to illuminate the entire space so that the far end was wreathed in darkness. Ron and Yori were made to stand some distance from the wall, then their guards stepped back, leaving them isolated and exposed. Out of the darkness emerged five old men, wearing long flowing robes. Ron recognised them as the elders of the Yamanouchi clan, even as Yori performed a low bow purely out of habit.

"Yori San, welcome home." The deep tones of Master Akiyama made her look up in surprise. She had never really liked him, and believed he didn't approve of her either, but his voice was warm and welcoming. "It is time for you to take your proper place. He gestured to a gap in the ring of ninjas that partly surrounded them.

Bewildered, Yori looked at her indicated spot and back at the old man addressing her. "And the Monkey Master?" she queried.

Akiyama's cheek twitched at the lack of instant obedience, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, after all she had been through a lot to get here.

"We shall deal with him later." The words bringing a worried frown to the young girl's brow.

"Master, I am sworn on my honour to protect him. I cannot leave him now." The words were spoken in a quiet respectful tone, but they visibly angered the old man.

Before he had a chance to respond, however, another voice interrupted.

"It is alright Akiyama, I'll deal with this."

Yori gasped, and Ron's eyes widened as out of the darkness emerged Master Sensei. Clad in his orange robes, and walking on the wooden ancient shoes he always wore, the two young people could only stare astonished as he approached.

Yori finally threw off her confusion and rushed to greet him. Fully aware of the impassive scrutiny of the massed ranks of ninjas, as well as the imperious stares of the elders, she didn't hurl herself at his neck as she wished, but instead flung herself at his feet, sobbing with happiness to see him alive.

Hurriedly stepping back to avoid a collision, Master Sensei looked down on his favourite pupil. "Your oaths are fulfilled Yori, and a higher authority is here now. Take your rightful place with your friends."

Yori looked up, puzzled. "And Stoppable San?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"You know his destiny, it cannot be avoided." The old man's words sent a chill down her spine.

"But Master, this goes against every thing you have ever taught me!" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"In my day such insolence would mean instant death."

Both Yori and Ron jumped at the interruption. The voice was loud, booming even, and carried with it the weight of authority that expected instant and unquestioning obedience.

There was a creaking sound, and the heavy tread of boots on stony ground as the speaker emerged from the darkness. The elders parted, bowing deeply as a tall man dressed in full ancient battle armour, including the fearsome helmet designed to instil terror in his enemies, stood a samurai warrior complete with twin swords fixed to his belt.

Yori paled at the sight, sinking to her knees as they simply gave way at the sight. A murmur rippled round the room as the attending ninjas acknowledged his arrival. "Toshimiru!" Yori's awed gasp finally informing Ron who it was that was so important. Uninhibited by the inherent respect drilled into every Yamanouchi student, his voice sounded loudly in the hushed chamber.

"Dude, you totally look like your statue."

The head turned to regard the young man who was still standing a few feet away. Unable to see the eyes due to the helmet, Ron could almost sense the contempt radiating from the figure as he returned the blank stare of the warrior.

One ninja broke away from the line and struck Ron in the small of his back with a wooden baton, causing him to collapse to the ground in a more respectful position.

"Ow!" he cried then stopped as his attacker swiftly drew the sword he was carrying and laid the sharp blade against the back of his neck.

"Please Master Sensei, you can't let him die!" Yori's pleas fell on deaf ears.

"I am sorry my child, the Lotus Blade requires it." The tone was compassionate but immutable, and the young ninja's eyes blurred at the finality it expressed.

"Please!" Her voice was so quiet that only the two of them heard it. Master Sensei didn't move, making no effort to comfort his favourite pupil. He just looked, his body language showning regret and concern but Yori gasped as she saw something in her master's eyes, a gleam of anticipation, eagerness even.

The girl scrambled back, away from the figure of her old teacher. "Who are you?" she hissed, "What are you?"

"You must obey, Yori!" Master Sensei's voice had a more insistent ring to it, the soft tones underlined with harsh expectation.

"Demon," she hissed, "You are not my master but a fiend of hell wearing his form." Her voice was louder now, and a mutter ran through some sections of the younger members of the school.

"Yori!" The scandalised cry from one of the elders, caused her to look in his direction. "This is insanity."

"Master Ito." Seeing one of the more modern minded elders, Yori entreated him to listen. "Please, you must believe me."

"I am sorry child." The old man shook his head regretfully, "I wish it could be different, but there is no other way!"

"Please master!" She was almost crying as she saw rejection in his eyes. Looking at the other elders she saw they too refused to hear what she was saying, some such as Master Ito looked sorrowful, but the majority looked scandalised at her behaviour.

As a last resort, she flung herself at the feet of the armoured figure that had been a silent witness up to now. "Please Lord Toshimiru, There must be another way!"

The gauntleted hand swept forward, catching the young ninja on the side of the face, swatting her away as if disgusted by her insolence. "Enough!" he roared, his voice filling the chamber and making the assembled students flinch with its fury.

One ninja, reacting with an alacrity that left his colleagues standing, hurried over and grabbed the still reeling Yori, dragging her away in an attempt to prevent her from further defiling his Lord's presence. Pulling her over to where Ron was still kneeling, blade still pressed against his neck, she was forced to kneel down beside him and her attacker took up position behind her.

Seeing the insolent girl being dealt with so appropriately, Lord Toshimiru removed his hand from the hilt of his Katana. Dealing with such a creature was beneath his dignity, far better for one of these lower beings to do the deed.

Ron twitched as he saw Yori treated so badly. He had heard every word, and the joy he had initially felt as seeing Master Sensei alive, swiftly vanished as he heard the direction conversation was taking. "Come on KP, now would be a good time." He thought, even as Yori was pleading for his life, but there was no sigh of her coming to the rescue.

Seeing her manhandled in such a fashion as she tried to defend him finally caused him to lose his temper. He tensed as if to get up, only the increased pressure on the blade at his neck stopped him, but a fire was building in his heart as he watched the girl being dragged away from the impassive warrior.

Ever since he had entered the room, he had felt strange, as if something was pressing on his skin, trying to get inside. As his anger grew, the sensation strengthened, until he could feel it channelling into his being, fuelling the anger that was growing in his breast. His eyes widened as he recognized the long missed feeling of Monkey Power. It was weak, a trickle rather than the deep well of power he had once wielded but for the first time in months, it was there. He felt Rufus stiffen in his pocket, he could obviously feel it too. As Yori was pushed down beside him, he stared intently at her, trying to let her know his intentions.

Even when being driven to her knees, Yori could see Ron's muscles tense up, his body language telling her that he had decided he had nothing left to lose. She gave him a slight nod, agreeing with his assessment, and she prepared to back him up in their doomed attempt to save themselves.

As the ninja behind Yori stepped back, he drew his sword and held it ready to strike. Ron felt the blade lift from his neck and readied himself, pausing just long enough to draw a little more power from this mysterious source that was feeding him. He never got a chance to move.

Seeing the Monkey Master tense up, one of the ninjas read his intentions and acted first. The blade flashed through the air, meeting no resistance as it penetrated the skin. It cut through muscle and bone as if they weren't even there, erupting out of the front of the neck before the brain registered the hit. Toshimiru looked on impassively, as the head sprang from the shoulders and flew threw the air. It bounced twice on hitting the ground, coming to rest up against his booted feet as the decapitated corpse collapsed to the ground. 


	15. Ch 14 Betrayal

The tunnel continued deeper into the mountain, leaving the two women no option but to follow wherever it lead. Fortunately, it appeared to be a single lava tube, without any branches. The idea of being stuck in a labyrinth wasn't something they wanted to contemplate. After a few hundred metres, however, it began to climb, giving them some hope that it would actually lead them back to the outside world.

The sound of Shego kicking something in the dark made both of them jump. Whatever it was echoed hollowly as it bounced on the rock floor a couple of times before fetching up against the tunnel wall.

"I think we're getting close!" Shego whispered as she moved closer to investigate.

"Why, what is it?" Kim kept her voice subdued for no other reason that otherwise it sounded unnaturally loud in the dark. She didn't want to attract any attention to the two of them; especially if it was from that thing they had heard earlier.

"Skull!" Shego's deadpan reply sent a shiver down the cheerleader's body.

"H..Human?" she quavered.

"Not unless it grew horns and a long snout." Shego smirked at her younger companion's discomfort, her sarcastic comment a cover for her own pounding heart. She stood up from where she had been investigating the object and looked back over her shoulder.

"Goat I'm guessing." She pronounced. Largely based on her knowledge of mountain creatures garnered from various natural history programmes she had watched rather than any actual biological expertise. Shrugging she continued on her way. Kim quickly followed, shuddering as she looked down at the bone fragment, not at all reassured by the large teeth marks that showed where the predator had cracked it open to gain access to the brain inside.

They continued on for about half an hour, occasionally coming across old remains of some kind of animal, all well gnawed, but neither woman had the knowledge to identify them correctly. The closed in space of the lava tunnel was becoming oppressive, and it was a welcome relief when it opened up into a small cavern.

Shego took the opportunity to let her flame die for a moment. Although not usually taxing, the effort of maintaining its light for so long was beginning to take its toll. Figuring this was as good a place as any for a rest, she sat down; letting her head rest against the tunnel wall while her eyes adjusted to the reduced light levels.

Kim too switched off her light, the battery was starting to go and she wanted to save it for as long as possible. She had a spare, but had no idea how much longer they were going to be stuck down here.

Seeing Shego wasn't in any hurry to move, Kim took a seat beside her, pulling a cereal bar out of one of the pockets in her trousers. She broke it in half and offered a piece to her companion who took it gratefully. The two of them sat for a while, eating in silence as they rested.

As they sat at the entrance to the tunnel, it gradually became apparent that there was some light down here. Although dimly seen, Kim could vaguely make out Shego's facial features, the older woman was looking straight at her, marvelling at the same discovery. They both looked up and could see a faint beam of light shining through a crack in the ceiling some distance above them.

"We must be getting close, surely!" Kim stated more in hope than certainty. The euphoria of finding out she wasn't alone down here was starting to wear off, and she was beginning to get anxious about her friends.

"What's your hurry?" The oppressiveness of being underground was starting to get to the thief and she resorted to snarkiness to cover her unease. "Present company not good enough for you?"

"What? No, of course not!" Shego's unexpected snarl left the redhead flustered. "I just don't want to leave Ron and Yori alone for too long."

"Lover boy partial to a piece of ninja tail is he?" Shego smirked at the idea.

She still didn't understand how these two had actually got together, let alone stayed the course for so long; they were just so incompatible. But she was certain that the buffoon knew a good thing when he saw it and was unlikely to risk a relationship with Kim for a fling, however flexible the Japanese girl might be.

"No, of course not!" Shego's digs had a knack of leaving Kim flustered and off-balance and this was no exception. "Just because we're no longer dat…"

Her voice trailed off as she remembered whom she was talking to. Was Shego really someone she wanted to discuss the barren wreckage of her love life?

Shego cringed internally. Having to deal with a ninja civil war while trying to steal something from a psychotic maniac backed by a global organization of evil minions was one thing. Having to do it in the face of a break-up between teenagers who had been friends since pre-school was the icing on the cake.

"Can this get any worse?" Shego asked herself, before squeezing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose. Of course it could; her headache was back.

Fortunately, the pain level was pretty low, nothing like the pain she had felt on the island, but it was a distraction, and that was the last thing she needed right now. Hearing Kim let out a large sigh just made her feel worse.

Figuring that the last thing she needed was a maudlin Kim Possible to baby-sit; she reached out and put her hand on the cheerleader's knee.

"Sorry. None of my business" she murmured, rubbing her hand on the younger woman's leg in what she hoped was a conciliatory manner.

To say Kim was amazed would be an understatement. Shego apologising? Whatever next? She did appreciate the gesture and the gentle touch on her knee made her feel better.

"Thanks." She placed her hand on the slim fingers resting on her knee and gave them a quick squeeze.

"Meh!" Shego pulled her hand away, a bit disconcerted by the intimate gesture. "You're better off without him anyway."

"You reckon?" Kim sounded dubious. "I think it's that he's better off without me." A feeling of sadness swept over her as she finally voiced the doubts she had been having about the two of them. Saying it out loud somehow made it more real.

"Those statements aren't necessarily mutually exclusive Kimmie." Shego pointed out. To her mind, the whole relationship had been wrong from the start.

"And you're the expert how?" Shego's tone was starting to get on Kim's nerves as she casually dismissed her relationship woes. "I mean, how many times have you been in a meaningful relationship?"

Shego couldn't help but laugh at this. "Oh about as many as you have Princess! None!" She could feel the teenager glaring daggers at that dismissal of her situation.

"What, you thought holding hands and an occasional kiss meant something? It takes more than that to qualify in my book."

Kim opened her mouth to reply, but Shego's raised hand forestalled her angry riposte.

"And no, I'm not talking about sex. That's just the icing on the cake." She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face as she started to wonder whether this was a conversation she wanted to be having.

"Look. A relationship involves a commitment to put your partner first." Her tone dropped to a more serious level. "Now I've certainly never met a man good enough for me to do that. I'm guessing you haven't either."

"But Ron and I have always been there for each other. Ever since Kindergarten."

"Yeah." Shego deadpanned, "And apart from the odd kiss, has your relationship really changed at all since then?"

She pushed herself up from the floor, and began to brush off the grit from her hands.

"It seems to me that the two of you just drifted into it by accident. Not unheard of for lifelong friends, I'll grant you, but the next logical step is for you to sleep together, and I'm guessing neither of you have pushed for that to happen. Am I right?"

Kim didn't answer, but she didn't have to. Her silence was all Shego needed to know that she was right.

"Personally, I don't think either of you really wants to. It would change the nature of your relationship forever. I guess, deep down, neither of you wants that to happen."

Kim sat in silence, her heart heavy as the truth in Shego's words sunk in. She didn't want her friendship with Ron to change. To be honest, the thought of sleeping with him had never even crossed her mind, and thinking about it now left a sick feeling in her stomach.

The other woman had moved away slightly, stepping out into the open space of the cavern, giving her some personal space. Whether by accident or design, Kim didn't know, but she appreciated it and spent several moments mulling over the implications for her future.

Eventually, Shego got bored waiting. "Come on Kimmie, time to go." Her voice was soft, more cajoling than demanding. It had the desired effect, as the redhead pushed herself to her feet.

"Doesn't it ever bother you?" The question caught Shego off guard. It was a subject she hadn't considered for a long time. "You know, that maybe there won't be anyone out there who is right?"

It was Shego's turn to be quiet for a while as she thought about it. She could hear the worry in Kim's voice and it made her actually address the issue rather than just sidestepping it with an off the cuff quip.

"If there is someone out there who can keep up with me, match me step for step while accepting me for who I am, then great." She faced away from the anxious cheerleader, her voice soft but deliberate as she finally spoke. "But until I find him, I certainly don't intend to settle for second best."

"And if you never find him?" Kim couldn't believe someone would be happy to stay single rather than compromise a little. "I mean, what if you are alone forever?"

"Better that than being stuck in a relationship with someone I can't respect." Shego fired right back. "I can't think of anything worse."

She was just about to say something else, but a shuffling sound coming from the far edge of the cavern quickly changed her mind. The two women glanced at each other in panic before swiftly seeking the illusory safety of the tunnel entrance. From their vantage point, they looked back into the open space they had just vacated, their eyes having finally adjusted to the reduced light levels.

Stepping out of the darkness was a creature, just barely visible in the dim light. It was at least six feet tall, covered in long white hair that caught the light in a shimmering glow. It was bipedal, with long limbs and a thickset figure, topped with a large head.

"Do you think it heard us?" Kim breathed into Shego's ear not wanting to alert it to their presence.

The creature stopped, turning its head as if listening for something before facing directly towards them. It lifted its snout in the air and sniffed, allowing the two women to see the huge tusks jutting up from its lower jaw. The huge claws that tipped its long arms weren't exactly comforting either.

Before either woman could react it let out a huge roar, loud enough to hurt their ears, and charged. Shego stood and fired a bolt of green fire, only to watch dumbfounded as it simply bounced off the creature's chest.

"Kimmie, MOVE!" Shego screamed as she dove to the side, exiting the tunnel mouth in an attempt to get room to manouver. Too late she realised that her younger partner hadn't followed her. Instead, Kim had stepped out from the tunnel, and was now facing down the creature that had momentarily hesitated as it decided which of the two women to go after. Recognizing the implied challenge, the ape-like creature ignored the frantic thief and charged the waiting redhead.

Shego fired off another blast, only to see it ricochet off the creature's impervious hide. Her blood ran cold as she watched it close the gap between itself and the young woman who was calmly watching its approach.

She was just opening her mouth to scream another warning when Kim moved. Almost too fast to see, she snatched her hairdryer from its holster on her belt, and in one smooth movement stepped into a classic shooting stance with both hands holding the handle and squeezed the trigger.

Propelled by its explosive charge, the grappling hook shot forward, trailing its rope behind it, striking the creature right between the eyes.

It's momentum was too much for the impact to stop its forward movement, but Kim could see its eyes roll up inside its head, and casually stepped aside as the now unconscious creature slammed into the cavern wall before falling backwards with a heavy thud.

Shego's mouth worked soundlessly a couple of times before she pulled herself together and snapped it shut. She walked over to where the nonchalant heroine was rewinding her grappling hook with a smug smirk on her face.

"Hair Dryer huh?" Shego kept all emotion from her voice, not wanting to give the insufferable girl any more reason to gloat.

"Yup!" Kim couldn't keep the amusement from her voice, or completely stop the silly grin from showing on her face. After all the angst she had suffered over her relationship issues, this small bit of action put everything into perspective. The rush of adrenalin had swept away her introspection and with the lifting of that burden, her spirits soared.

Shego turned away in disgust, not wanting to see the self satisfied smirk any longer. Secretly she acknowledged Kim had a lot to be satisfied about, it really had been a sweet move.

"Come on, lets get out of here." Her voice was gruff as she walked away from the supine creature. Kim replaced her hair dryer and followed.

"And stop smiling!" Shego's irritation finally got the better of Kim's self control and her grin stretched from ear to ear.

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To an outside observer, Master Sensei looked on impassively as the body fell. Sending the young man kneeling before it sprawling as it hit him on the shoulder, even as his female companion lunged for the sword that had fallen from the dead man's hand. Inside the shape he had assumed however, the watcher couldn't help but laugh as once more, Adauchi's minions failed to conform to expectations. As far as he was concerned, all this rigmarole was just a sideshow to keep the forces of good off balance. A sop to the fool's over developed sense of superstition with the added advantage of being a perfect diversion from the true reason for his presence. Stepping back into the shadows, he waited to see how this farce would play out.

Toshimiru snarled inwardly as he watched his executioner die at the hands of one of his so called minions. "Not yours, his" an inner voice taunted. They belonged to his other self, his psychic twin for want of a better term. He had just co-opted them for his own purposes, but actions like this reminded him of how much he hated any reminder of his previous existance, especially this Yamanouchi organisation.

Quickly scanning the room, he read the stunned shock evident in the body language of the surrounding ninja's. It was unclear what this unexpected development would lead to and Adauchi hesitated, waiting to see how it would play out, his dreams were too close to fruition for it all to come crashing down now.

Yori had been poised to back up her friend as soon as Ron made his move, and reacted just as swiftly to this unexpected turn of events. Before the body had even completed its fall, she had scooped up the sword still clutched in its lifeless fingers and moved to stand over her charge until Ron had a chance to get to his feet.

Their mysterious benefactor was ahead of her, already interposing himself between the prone figure of the Monkey Master and the impassive warrior. Yori took up position guarding his back, facing down the entire Yamanouchi student population as the two of them waited for the onslaught.

"Hanchou." Makoto's steady voice washed over Yori like a warm wave as she realised that the last remaining member of her squad still kept faith in his captain.

"Garache" Yori's thanks were choked with emotion as the realisation that this experienced ninja believed in her cause, and was willing to stand by her decisions come what may. It swept away the doubts she had been feeling over whether she had made the right decisions. For better or worse, she had made her choice and was now ready to stand by it to the bitter end.

From his position on the floor between his two guardians, Ron watched as she briefly rested her head against the broad back of her companion, taking a moment to draw strength from his resolute defiance in the face of overwhelming odds. A brief flare of jealousy fired in his heart but was swiftly stifled as he acknowledged to himself that he had done nothing to justify her having any confidence in his own ability to save them.

A fresh feeling of shame came over him as he realised once more that others had saved his life and were willing to die to protect him. He was the Monkey Master yet so far he had achieved absolutely nothing except get captured. Flushing with embarrassment, he pushed himself to his feet and tried to reconnect with the faint tendril of Monkey Power that he had felt earlier.

"Makoto! What is the meaning of this?" Master Ito was the first to regain his senses in the face of these dramatic events. His voice more shocked than outraged which Ron took as a good sign.

"This is wrong Sensei!" The male ninja's voice was resolute in its defiance. "The Monkey Master is our salvation, not a beast to be sacrificed on the word of this ... this ghoul."

He stretched out his sword arm as he spoke, pointing directly at the silent looming figure of Toshimiru, causing another gasp of outrage from the watching ninjas at this blatant blasphemy.

Fury was evident on the faces of several elders at Makoto's words, but Master Ito had always been less hide-bound than some of his more traditional peers, and his first instinct was to seek a rapprochement. Also, he had great respect for both Makoto and Yori and would much prefer to show them the error of their ways rather than write them off as a lost cause.

"It is distasteful Makoto I agree. We all wish there were an alternative, but this is the only way to save the Lotus Blade."

Regret could be heard in every word from the master's mouth, but also the resignation that he had no choice. "You heard what Lord Toshimiru said."

"I heard him." Makoto's voice was grim as he practically spat out the words. "I heard him promise to return the Lotus Blade to us. I heard him claim that this obscenity was necessary." He turned away from the old man and turned to face the warrior directly. "But I have heard his voice before. I heard him speak through the lips of a dead girl even as a demon was trying to kill us."

Yori's gasp was echoed around the room as the implication of what he was saying hit home. A low murmur spread around the room, but the impact on Master Ito was the most dramatic. His face blanched, and he stumbled as if physically struck.

"Kyoko." His whisper was barely audible to Ron and his companions standing only a few feet away. His face crumpled as he thought once more of his favourite granddaughter, brought home in a coffin only a couple of weeks ago.

Without thinking he turned and faced Toshimiru. "Is this true Master?" The question was plaintive, begging for his Lord to deny outright such an outrageous slur.

It wasn't Toshimiru who answered, however. The old man let out a cry and collapsed to the floor, blood spurting out from a large wound in his neck. As he fell, the figure of Akiyama was revealed, the edge of his sword stained with the blood of his enemy.

Stepping forward with a face as hard as iron, he swept a glance around the room, seeking to quell any further incidences of blasphemy. It didn't quite go to plan.

A fountain of blood spurted out from his neck as a shuriken appeared as if by magic. Dropping his sword and staggering back while clutching at the wound, he just had time to turn and face his Lord before collapsing to the floor.

Whipping his head round to see where the attack had come from, Ron saw a ninja standing away from his fellows; arm still raised from avenging his sensei. The arm moved up to rip the hood from his head to reveal Hirotake, tears rolling down his cheek.

It was all too much for Adauchi's control over the Yamanouchi. There was a pregnant pause as the assembled ninjas struggled to catch up with the rapidly changing events played out before their eyes, their minds brushing away the thin veneer of suggestion that had been clouding their judgement as they struggled assimilate this new development.

Ron, Yori and Makoto waited as the tension built up around them, until it boiled over in an orgy of violence. Understandably enough, it was the followers of the two dead masters that started it. Incensed at his master's death, one of Akiyama's students slammed a dagger blade into the chest of the unfortunate ninja standing next to him. He didn't have long to celebrate his actions, however, as he was cut down from behind by the dying man's compatriot. Suddenly the entire room erupted in an explosion of violence. Fights broke out in the massed ranks of the Yamanouchi School, the chaos spreading out rapidly until it had engulfed the entire room.

The three figures at the centre found themselves caught up in a mass melee, as the various factions fought for supremacy, or just to settle old scores. Inevitably, they were targeted, and quickly found themselves fighting back to back in a desperate battle for survival.

It was fortunate for Ron that his tenuous link to the Monkey Power had re-established itself just before the battle erupted, but it was weak, and he could only just defend himself from the attacks coming his way. Yori and Makoto were both similarly pressed, but were better trained in fighting as a team, and as such could provide support without getting in each other's way.

They tried to help Ron when they could, but often found that they were getting in his way or vice versa as he wasn't used to fighting with others. Plus, his technique mimicked Kim's in the respect that it was based heavily on evasion and movement, meaning that he couldn't stand and defend a position but was constantly separating himself from his protectors as he spun away from an attack, much to Yori's consternation.

It was while on one of these occasions that his luck ran out. He had just dispatched his latest assailant with a well placed kick to the back of the head, when he staggered under the implosion of pressure in his mind. Stunned by this unexpected distraction, he took a few seconds to regain his senses, looking around feverishly as he tried to identify the source of the sensation. It was only the movement in his trouser pocket that brought his attention back to the present.

Rufus, up to now, had been sitting out the fight, safe in his master's pocket, but the pulse of energy that had disorientated Ron, had had a substantially different effect on the naked molerat. Wriggling his way out of his flimsy sanctuary, he leaped down to the floor and ignoring Ron's startled call to come back disappeared into the melee, irresistibly drawn by the psychic call for help emitted by the Lotus Blade.

Ron struggled to get a grip at this latest development. By the time he had regained his balance, Rufus had disappeared into the mob. Concerned for the safety of his pet, he took a step in the direction his friend had taken, but was brought up short by a frantic cry from Yori.

"Look out!" The young ninja was desperately trying to disengage from a particularly stubborn Akiyama follower as she screamed her warning. Some sixth sense prevented Ron from simply turning to see what was the matter. Instead, reflexes intensified by the monkey power flowing through his body, allowed him to contort himself just enough to cause the blade aimed at his head to miss by inches, his hair blown over his eyes by the wind caused by its path. As he fell to the ground, unbalanced by his evasive manoeuvre, he tucked his shoulder in and rolled, rising to his feet and ready to face this new assailant. He almost wished he hadn't. Already moving to re-engage was the looming armoured figure of Lord Toshimiru.

Ron swallowed nervously as the samurai closed the distance between him. A quick glance showed that neither Yori nor Makoto were free to give him any assistance.

"So! The Monkey Master at last!" Toshimiru's deep voice rumbled inside his helmet, even as his body slid into a perfect stance, his sword held above his head with the point aimed directly at the young man's heart.

Ron opened his mouth to answer but his throat was dry, and his tongue suddenly appeared too large for his mouth. He didn't get a chance anyway. Having no wish to exchange banter with this peasant, Toshimiru leapt forward and swung his sword once more.

Only his enhanced agility allowed Ron to escape injury, twisting out of the way of the descending blade jabbing an elbow into his attacker's ribs as he moved.

Excruciating pain shooting up his arm swiftly reminded him that he was facing an armoured opponent. Quickly disengaging, he stepped back, rubbing his arm even as Toshimiru turned to face him once more, showing no sign of having even noticed Ron's strike.

This time, the warrior took no chances. Having witnessed his target's superior speed, the blade moved even faster to compensate. Ron still managed to evade the blow but gasped in pain as, anticipating the move, Toshimiru's other arm thrust a dagger into the fleshy part of his leg.

It wasn't a deep wound, the mystical monkey power had allowed him to shift direction slightly causing the strike to score a bloody gash across his thigh rather than impaling itself deep into his leg muscles, but it was enough for his leg to crumple, momentarily unable able to bear his weight.

He rolled with the impact as he fell to the floor, but before he could regain his feet, a gauntleted hand grabbed a fistful of hair and dragged him to his knees. Ron tried throwing a punch, but the stiff leather armour worn by his attacker repelled the blow, a snort of contempt greeting his own muffled grunt of pain.

Toshimiru twisted his wrist, wrenching the young man's head back so he could look into his eyes. His katana was already sheathed, and he drew the shorter wakizashi ready to dispatch the one threat to his success.

Ron closed his eyes, not wanting to see the deathblow coming, twisting his head in a last futile attempt to escape, but the blow never came.

"Where is it?" Toshimiru demanded, his fingers running through Ron's floppy hair, seeking the golden circlet he had been expecting.

Ron opened an eye, once he realised he wasn't dead, only to be flung to the floor in frustration by the suddenly concerned warrior. He scrabbled away as best he could, his wounded leg dragging behind him, and watched puzzled as Toshimiru looked this way and that, desperately looking for something. Both of them saw what he was looking for at about the same time.

By some caprice of fate, the melee of brawling ninjas opened up enough to make out the glint of light reflecting off the gold circlet around Rufus' head. Ron grabbed desperately at the warrior's heel but wasn't fast enough, as Toshimiru strode away, swiftly swallowed up by the crowd once more closing up around him.

Sobbing with pain, Ron was pushing himself to his knees in an attempt to follow when Yori arrived. She had only managed to break free once Hirotake and a few other students had managed to fight through to her position.

"Yori!" Ron gasped, "it's not me he's after, it's Rufus!"

He tried to push himself up, but his leg gave way, and he would have collapsed to the floor if Yori hadn't managed to catch him.

"Stoppable San, are you all right?" Yori's blood had run cold at the thought of how close she had come to losing him. Even now she was trying to stem the flow of blood from his leg, although the wound wasn't life threatening.

"Yori!" Ron grabbed her collar and forced her to look at him. The girl looked up still distracted by her worries over his safety. He gave her a little shake to grab her attention.

"Rufus is the chosen one, not me. Toshimiru's gone after him."

The ninja's eyes widened as she finally understood what he was trying to say. Ron let his arm drop; pushing himself away from her as he finally regained his footing. His leg was still giving him trouble but he was at least standing. He looked at her, eyes pleading. "We've got to save him."

The young ninja looked pointedly at his wounded leg. Ron was standing, but all his weight was on the undamaged limb while the other leg barely touched the floor. He gingerly tested it to see if it would hold, but winced at the pain shooting up his thigh.

"I shall go and help Rufus, Possible San. You stay here and save my people from themselves."

Ron's mouth dropped at her request. Disbelievingly he looked around the two of them, a temporary circle of calm surrounded by a maelstrom of chaos as the Yamanouchi school continued to rip itself apart.

"ME? How?"

Yori smiled, and reached out to gently touch his face.

"You are the Monkey Master; I have faith in you. If you believe like I believe, you can achieve anything you set your mind to."

Ron swallowed as his body reacted to the sensation of her slim fingers sliding over his sensative skin. He could read the desperation in her eyes at the thought of having to leave others to help her beloved school at such a time, but she knew how important it was that Toshimiru didn't get his hands on Rufus.

Drawing her confidence in him into his heart, and at the same time pushing aside the huge doubt he felt in his ability to carry out such an onorous task, he capitulated.

OK, I'll do what I can. You just save Rufus."

Yori hesitated for a moment before nodding once. Catching him by surprise, she leaned in and briefly kissed him, before spinning around and disappearing into the crowd, leaving Ron standing speechless, until the arrival of Makoto and Hirotake shook him from his reverie.

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"Come on Shego!" The whisper sounded unnaturally loud to Kim's ears as she waited for the thief to open the door that they assumed led them to the surface.

"You're welcome to have a go if you think you can do any better." The snippy retort floated down the tunnel, confirming that her companion had indeed heard what was intended to be a silent thought.

Kim didn't reply, she knew her companion was the best in the business. It was just that opening a latched and possibly bolted door from the wrong side wasn't easy apparently. Go figure. Shego had been all for blasting her way through, until Kim pointed out that firstly, Yamanouchi would not thank them for opening up a direct path between their school and the creature's lair, and secondly, the noise would be likely to attract the attention of other specimens of whatever it was they had run into down there.

Kim suspected that this last argument carried more weight with Shego; the woman appeared to have some kind of irrational fear of being eaten. Well not irrational, the idea didn't appeal to Kim either, but Shego seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with the idea, so here she was, kicking her heels while Shego muttered and cursed about stone-age technology and why couldn't they have just installed a state of the art electronic lock that she could have bypassed in seconds.

Kim had just settled down once more when she heard a noise coming from the end of the passageway that led back to the chamber where they had encountered the yeti. Frowning, she cast a glance up the passageway where Shego was working, but decided not to bother her unless it was absolutely necessary. She had already had her head bitten off for what she had thought was useful advice, apparently Shego didn't appreciate people bothering her while she was working. Yet another surprise, Not!

Deciding that discretion was the better form of valour, she slipped quietly back down the passageway, relying on the faint light from a pencil torch she had had tucked away in her mission gear, Shego having borrowed her head light as trying to pick a lock using the light of her own plasma was impossible.

As Kim approached the cavern where she had recently dispatched the yeti, she heard an unnerving snuffling sound, and quickly turned off her tiny light. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the lower light levels of the cave, but even in the dim light, the large hunched shape checking over the still unconscious body of the creature she had knocked out was unmistakeable. Neither was the discrepancy in size when the new creature suddenly stood up. This specimen was much larger.

The breath caught in her throat as it started to sniff the air, the white hairs in its coat gleaming even in the low light levels of the cavern. Briefly, she considered trying her hairdryer trick again, but one look at the domed forehead ruled out that option. The skull looked much thicker and heavier, she doubted it would even notice.

Cautiously, she backed up the passageway, desperately trying to avoid making any sound. She had just turned a corner, and felt able to turn around and head back to the doorway, when an ear-shattering roar echoed through the tunnel.

"Oh Crap!" The thought flashed through her mind as she started to run.

"SHEGO!" Her cry startled the thief who was lost in concentration in trying to get the bar on the other side of the door to move. She didn't know how long the door had been here, but she was willing to bet it was measured in decades, if not centuries.

Made from heavy planks of some kind of hard wood, and bound with iron bolts, only the warping of the wood allowed her any access to the heavy bar on the other side of the door. Trying to lift it using only the thin metal slat she used for such occasions was made more difficult by the fact that it had settled in its position over the years and appeared to have seized.

Kim's shout caused her hand to jerk, losing her purchase on the tool she was using and gashing her knuckles on the rough wooden surface.

"WHAT?" Her annoyed reply as she bent down to retrieve her lock pick, was quickly answered by a bestial roar as the creature picked up the scent of the two women. Her eyes widened in fear as she realised the implications, and frantically scrabbled for the metal tool, her fingers rendered clumsy by her panic.

"Looks like Mom's here." Kim was panting heavily as she appeared around a corner, just in time to see the older woman finally get a grip on the elusive pick and begin once more to try and open the door. It only took her a second or two to see that the creature would be upon them before Shego managed to finish.

"I'll try and slow it down." A distracted grunt of acknowledgement was all Kim got as she turned and headed back down the tunnel. Her one advantage was that the creature would be constrained by the narrowing dimensions of the passageway as it headed away from the cavern. It wasn't something she felt too happy about relying on.

Left alone once more Shego continued to work, her only light that provided by the lamp Kim had left her. As she moved the metal slat through the crack between the planks once more, she felt a brief feeling of resistance before it finally slipped through the gap.

Eyes narrowing she pulled it back out and began to probe, aiming slightly above the area she had been working previously. There was definitely something there. Some tentative investigation later and her lips twitched in a satisfied smirk, the bar was tied.

She concentrated her power, to just the tips of her thumb and forefinger, pouring as much energy as she thought the slim metal tool could handle until it began to glow red hot. She kept going for as long as she dared, before reinserting the slat into the crack in the door, feeling for the elusive binding that was preventing her from lifting the bar.

"Just hope its hemp." She muttered. A chain would seriously put a spanner in the works. Her probe caught on something and she waited for a few nervous moments until the distinctive smell of burning reached her nose, but any satisfaction was quickly dampened by the sound of another roar from the tunnel behind her, much closer than before; Kim's yell as she tried to distract it sounding feeble in comparison.

Kim was rapidly running out of rocks as the arthropod shook its head after the latest impact. She had already hit it once with her hairdryer grapple, aiming for the large foot, which had caused it to recoil in pain, but had also infuriated it even more.

Now she was backing down the tunnel, throwing everything she could lay her hands on as she tried to slow its advance.

"Shego! Hurry Up!" Even she was starting to panic slightly. The creature's ability to squeeze its large frame through the tunnel was better than she had anticipated. She was already two thirds of the way back to the door, and the thought of being trapped in a dead end by this thing was something she was desperately trying not to dwell upon.

Shego cursed as Kim's cry caused her to lose concentration, and the probe slipped away from the rope she was trying to burn through. Pushing down an up swell of fear, the thief adjusted her tool and resumed her attack on the rope.

By the time the rope gave way, Kim was only yards from her position. She hadn't even burned all the way through, the weight of the rope finally became too much for the remaining strands holding it together, and it snapped, catching Shego by surprise and nearly causing her to drop her precious probe.

Pulling it back to safety, she let her right hand flare with her Go power, and slammed it as hard as she could into the door. It wasn't enough to break through, but it did cause the heavy wooden door to rattle in its frame. Hoping it was enough to free the bar from years of being settled in one place, she reapplied her probe, angling it up to drive into the bottom of the bar as she attempted to lift it from its position.

As she feared, it was thick and heavy. Even using both hands to push up against its weight wasn't having any effect, and all the time the sounds of Kim's battle with the creature were getting closer.

Risking a quick look behind her, Shego found she could even see the pathetic glow of Kim's torch, figuring that she could only be feet away before the sudden appearance of her red headed companion sprinting around the corner confirmed that she had run out of time.

Using a sudden burst of strength, her hands once more bursting into flame, she threw her whole weight behind a final push, as the beam finally moved.

The door swung open as she stumbled against it, even as the creature rounded the corner and saw its prey about to escape. Shego practically fell through it, quickly followed by Kim who slammed into her back and knocked her to the ground.

The cheerleader didn't waste any time to see if her companion was all right. Instead she turned and threw herself against the half open door, slamming it shut milliseconds before a heavy weight hit it on the other side.

The weight of the impact was enough to knock Kim back, the door opening enough to allow a massively clawed hand to reach around and try to grab the terrified teen. Fortunately Shego quickly managed to regain her feet. Hurling herself at the door and stabbing down at the groping claw with her probe.

The beast's angry roar as the still glowing hot metal tool sliced into its hand caused both women's ears to ring as they desperately pushed against the wooden door. As the creature recoiled in pain, their combined weight was enough to push it closed once more. Kim slammed down the bar just in time. The door shuddered as the creature hit it once more. The impact was enough to knock the two women away from the door, but the heavy bar held.

Launching themselves back to brace the thin wooden barrier separating them from the creature, they waited with trepidation as a frustrated roar echoed through the tunnel, but the creature made no further attempt to break through. Finally, when they heard it shuffle away, they both slid down the wooden surface they were leaning on until they were sitting on the floor.

Shego let out a ragged breath of relief, drawing a concerned glance from her partner. The older woman was still wearing her head light, and in its glow, Kim could see beads of sweat on the green woman's brow. She became even more alarmed when Shego's body began to shiver.

Her mother being who she was, it didn't take Kim long to recognise the symptom. Reaching out with her right arm, she wrapped it over Shego's shoulders and pulled her into as close an embrace as she could manage. Without any blankets, this was the only way she could provide warmth to the now noticeably shaking woman.

"It's OK, you're going into shock" her steady voice seeking to reassure the trembling thief. With her left arm, she reached across the two of them and slipped her fingers between the slim green digits of Shego's hand.

Minutes passed as she held her companion as tightly as she could. Shego's body was now shaking violently as her body had a delayed reaction to the stress it had been subjected to.

Resting her chin on the top of Shego's head, Kim wished she had a blanket or something, anything to warm her companion's body. As it was she just had to wait, giving whatever heat she could from her own body while constantly crooning sympathetic platitudes until the shakes began to subside.

"Damn." Shego's soft whisper not really meant to be heard by anyone, especially the redhead, had a profound effect on her anyway.

Ever since Shego had spirited her away after her breakdown, she had looked up to the thief for guidance. Suppressing her own sense of responsibility, she had let herself be led, trusting in the older woman to make everything right. This display of human frailty was a timely reminder that she too was fallible.

She recognised that ever since meeting up with her nemesis once more she had been treating the whole mission like a Sunday picnic, expecting the older woman to take the load. Now gently rocking the still convulsing figure, she acknowledged that it was time she began to carry her own weight.

She gave the hand she was holding a squeeze, continuing to hold her friend until Shego shifted beneath her arm. Instantly releasing her hold, she let the older woman push herself up and begin to brush herself down.

Recognising how hard it must be for a woman as independent as Shego to show weakness in public, she made no attempt at conversation, instead rising to her own feet and brushing the dirt from the seat of her pants.

Turning round, she made a show of inspecting the door that separated them from the creature's lair, giving her companion a chance to regain her composure. The tentative touch on her arm was unexpected and caused her to jump in surprise.

"Thanks." The murmured word even more surprising than the physical contact, Kim found her headlight being pushed into her hands, although the gentle squeeze on her arm hinted at what Shego was really thanking her for.

Unable to think of anything to say, she simply stared as green light once more flared from her companion's hand, watching as the thief headed off down the tunnel. Deciding that it would be better to let the matter drop, Kim buckled the strap around her forehead once more, switching on the light and followed.

It wasn't long before she caught up. Shego was waiting for her, and the reason was easy to see why. A flight of stairs was cut into the rock, leading up into darkness, the hard stone steps warn down over the years by countless feet. Sharing a conspiratorial grin, the two of them began to climb, each feeling a renewed burst of energy at the prospect of finally escaping the maze of underground passageways they had been stuck in for so long.

It was a long climb, but eventually they felt the fresh breeze on their faces, and rounding a corner came across an iron barred gate blocking the tunnel. Through the bars they could see low buildings framed against the starlit sky.

Although it was locked, the padlock didn't give Shego any trouble, and she had it open in under a minute. Pushing the gate open, she stood aside and allowed Kim to pass by before closing the gate behind her and relocking the padlock. Only then did she turn and survey the scene.

"Where is everybody?"

Kim's voice struggled to be heard over the rising noise of the wind. From the looks of it a storm was coming in, causing both women's hair to flap and flutter as the gusts grew stronger.

Without any better idea, they headed towards the buildings they could see in the distance, but they had only gone a few yards when Kim suddenly gasped and ran a few feet to her left. Kneeling down and looking at something on the floor she turned and grinned at her bemused partner.

"Ron's been here, they went this way." She gestured down a barely visible track heading away from the main complex.

"How can you tell?"

Kim smiled and held up a yellow packet. As she moved nearer, Shego recognised the distinctive packaging of Bueno Nacho's Diablo sauce. Shuddering at the thought of someone actually eating that poison, she suddenly remembered whom it was that they were talking about.

"Figures!" she snorted, the contempt in her voice causing Kim to smile. Although a fan of Bueno Nacho, even she baulked at some of Ron's concoctions.

Without any further comment, the two of them headed off down the path. Above their heads, clouds scudded across the dark sky as the wind picked up strength, causing their hair to whip around their faces, and in a small copse of trees, the blossom began to fall.

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As Yori danced around another pair of battling colleagues, her heart wept as she watched the Yamanouchi tear themselves apart. She didn't let her emotions distract her from the task however, taking advantage of her natural agility and slight frame to glide past without being dragged into the conflict.

By moving around the edge of the cavern, she had traded a longer route for fewer obstacles, and judging from what she could see, it had been the right call to make. Toshimiru, in his arrogance, had sought to push his way through the melee, and was now getting bogged down as he became entangled in a number of petty skirmishes.

Taking full advantage of this, Yori managed to break out into clear ground while Toshimiru was still only two thirds of the way across the cavern. Without the crush of bodies blocking the intervening space, Yori could now see the glint of gold around her target's head. As she neared she could see the small rodent struggling to squeeze under a wooden door set into the cavern wall. Even as she neared, she saw Rufus give up and instead try to gnaw his way through, irresistibly drawn as he was to whatever lay on the other side of the barrier.

"Rufus, wait." Yori's gentle voice failing to break through the rodent's almost trance-like state.

Seeing that the molerat wasn't taking any notice of her, she quickly examined the door, before using the latch that was situated high up out of the little animal's reach. As the door swung open, Rufus darted through, closely followed by Yori.

The sight that presented itself to her, was enough to halt her in her tracks. The door opened onto an even larger cavern but one that was illuminated with a sickly red hue. The source of this light, hanging in the air surrounded by a whirling column of red fire, was the Lotus Blade.

Rufus didn't bat an eyelid at this. Drawn by some internal urge, he scampered over to where the mystical blade hung, slowly rotating under the influence of some malevolent force. This close to the embodiment of his power, the little rat could feel something like the usual Mystical Monkey power surging through his body, but he could also tell it was fading fast. The usual cobalt aura surrounding the artefact could no longer be seen, only a slight purple tinge to the scarlet miasma surrounding it hinting at its existence.

Wasting no time, and disregarding the likelihood of being burned by the surrounding flames, Rufus hurled himself through the air, his jump enhanced by the power of the Lotus Blade coursing through his veins. His arms outstretched to grab the hilt and drag it away from the evil forces seeking to corrupt its power.

It was an attempt doomed to fail. As his momentum carried him closer, he could see that what at first appeared to be flames, were in fact the swirling eddies of some kind of field, completely encircling the sword. Rufus crashed into it, and was abruptly repelled, falling back to the earth, slightly concussed from the impact.

"Rufus!" Yori shook herself free from the hypnotic fascination that had gripped her up to now. She was just about rush to his aid, when the door behind her crashed open, causing her to whirl in panic to face this latest threat. Toshimiru had finally forced his way through the chaos in the outer chamber and her time had run out.

Instinctively she reached for her fans, the metal blades emitting a soft chime as they opened, but Toshimiru ignored her, being more interested in the sight of the creature lying stunned beneath the floating weapon.

"It's too late Chosen One!" The triumph in the warrior's voice was overwhelming. "The transformation is nearly complete. I can feel it in my blood."

Rufus didn't react. He was still trying to shake off the impact from his fall. Yori glanced back confused. Rufus was the Chosen One?

"But the Monkey Master?" The words were spoken unintentionally but Toshimiru responded anyway.

"I felt his power." Satisfied that it was too late for them to foil his plans, the samurai succumbed to the temptation to gloat. "It will avail him nothing when I finally control its source."

The knowledge that the Lotus Blade was the ultimate source of Mystical Monkey Power was a revelation to Yori; she had always assumed it was simply a powerful weapon. It certainly explained why Ron had been unable to rely on his power since Master Sensei had died. It took a little longer for her to pick up on the other implication on what he had just said.

"You can't control the Founder's blade?" Suspicion edged her voice as she once more readied herself for combat. "Then you aren't Toshimiru!"

The warrior before her took another look to satisfy himself that the chosen one was in no position to somehow thwart his plans, but the animal still appeared to be stunned from its fall.

"Oh but I am!" Reaching up, he removed the masked helmet from his head, revealing a middle-aged man whose face Yori knew so well from various sculptures and screen paintings she had seen around the Yamanouchi School. "Well, part of him at least."

Confusion was written all over the young ninja's face.

"When Toshimiru felt his end approaching, he used the power of the 'Lotus Blade' as you call to separate the negative aspects of his character from himself." The man turned his head and leered at the young girl before him. "I was the result of that separation."

"Banished me for a thousand years were his exact words." His malicious grin became even wider if that were possible. "I think he intended it to mean forever, but he always tended towards the over-dramatic, and you know how fate will exploit every loophole."

The satisfaction in his voice expressed exactly what he thought of his 'better half'.

"I think he looked to break free of the Cosmic Wheel; I doubt Nirvana is so easily fooled."

Yori couldn't resist a quick glance back at the sword she had defended for so long.

"It can do that?" If the Lotus Blade had that level of power then she was more determined than ever to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

"HA!" The barked laugh quickly brought her attention back to her enemy.

"You have no idea what it really is? Do you." It was Toshimiru's turn now to express surprise. "Or this place? No inkling of its history and power."

"Mount Yamanouchi..." Yori began, but she was interrupted by a snort of annoyance.

"Yamanouchi? The Mountain of Agriculture?" Toshimiru interrupted. For the first time, a spasm of anger showed in his face.

Internally he raged, how could the world had become so diminished. The Mountain of Fruit and Flowers tamed by the detritus of humanity! That was bad enough, but if they ever found out the true identity of this Lotus Blade, it would probably shatter their puny minds.

"She knows nothing." Another voice interrupted his train of thought, causing Yori to jump. She thought they were alone in here.

Out of the shadows stepped a young woman, Caucasian in appearance, the long blond hair flowing over her shoulders, and American by her accent. Yori certainly didn't recognise her, even Toshimiru frowned at this new aspect of his god.

"Lord Mikaboshi." His voice betrayed is displeasure at this constant deceit. Why couldn't the Lord of Evil take his true shape?

The girl shrugged, ignoring the gasp of fear expressed by the young ninja as she realised what she was facing.

"Only the head of the school knew, it's one of the reasons I had him killed."

"Evil One!" Yori screamed with rage at this casual disregard for her Mentor. She lunged forward, sweeping her fan in a deadly strike, aimed directly at the thin neck of her target.

Mikoboshi didn't even flinch, just watched in contempt as the weapon passed right through his body without leaving a mark.

"Yeah! That'll work."

Ignoring the shaken ninja, Mikaboshi turned to face Toshimiru, who had been watching the scene with ill-disguised amusement. "It is time."

While Yori had been distracted by the arrival of the armoured warrior, the field around the Lotus Blade had been intensifying. Now it was a pure muddy red blur as it finally overwhelmed the blue aura of its imprisoned target. The light it was giving out was almost too bright to look at it directly, but as she stumbled away from her enemies, she caught movement in the very edge of her peripheral vision. Rufus had recovered his senses.

Instinctively she made a move towards the flaring phenomenon, but she was abruptly halted when a blade appeared just inches from her face. Toshimiru had been watching for such a move and swiftly stifled it. Swallowing in fear, she stepped back, positioning herself where she could see both the warrior and the Lotus Blade, keeping her face impassive as she held Toshimiru's gaze for a few seconds before he was satisfied she wouldn't try anything. Distracted by her actions, she was fairly certain he hadn't noticed Rufus' recovery.

Certain that he had cowed the troublesome ninja, Toshimiru stepped forward as the culmination of all his plans approached.

"At last, I shall have my revenge!"

Yori's eyes flickered as, unnoticed by the crowing warrior, the delicate form of Lord Mikoboshi moved to stand behind him, her attention drawn to the undisguised look of contemptuous distain writ large across the strange girl's face.

"Indeed, you will get what you deserve."

If Toshimiru picked up on the undertones of malicious glee in her voice he showed no sign, absorbed as he was by the sight of the glowing red field surrounding the Lotus Blade glowing brighter and brighter. Yori on the other hand, could clearly see the pretty mouth split in an evil grin as the apparition too waited for the final chapter of this whole affair.

Unseen by everyone, hidden by the intensity of the light blazing from the trapped sword, Rufus shook his head and got to his feet. His tiny brain knew that whatever was happening above his head was a bad thing, and that he would only have one chance to do anything about it. Slowly, he stepped back until he could see the entire side of the flaming cylinder, now placed between him and the humans on the other side. There he waited, to move too soon would be as disastrous as waiting too long.

He got his change moments later. Even as the spinning blade flared up in a final crescendo, the lotus blade made one last attempt to free itself from the prison that confined it and a tiny beam of blue light broke through the maelstrom of evil force that was surrounding the holy weapon. Driven by an instinct he barely understood, the little molerat leapt into the air, propelled by the final burst of MMP granted to him by the very object he was trying to save.

Too small for even a human arm, the hole opened up in the surrounding field was just large enough to accommodate a small rodent. It didn't last, existing just long enough for Rufus to gain access, it closed up behind him as the red flare finally blossomed into an explosion of light, dazzling everyone left in the cavern.

Yori flinched, turning away and covering her eyes in a futile attempt to protect them from the glare. Even through her hands, the light was dazzling and this was closely followed by a deafening clap and a shockwave that picked her up and threw her several feet away. She landed awkwardly, jarring her knee as it struck the stone floor, causing her to bite her lip in a bid to stifle the scream of pain, but any noise she might have made was drowned out by the incredulous roar of disbelief that echoed around the cavern.

"NOOOOOOO!" Toshimiru's scream gave the disorientated young ninja a reference to focus on, blinded as she was now that the light source that had dominated the room had gone.

"WHERE IS IT?" Yori was frantically trying to blink away the spots before her eyes. Obviously something unexpected had happened. Had Rufus managed to save the Lotus Blade?

Opening her eyes, she could just make out the shadowy figures of Toshimiru and Lord Mikoboshi in the gloom. Now that the bright light surrounding the Lotus Blade was gone, the only illumination was from previously unseen torches flickering in the bad air.

As her eyesight began to clear, Yori could be certain of one thing. There was no sign of either the Lotus Blade or Rufus.

Concealed in the body of the mysterious girl, the watcher exulted as his plans came to fruition. The frustration shown by that fool Adauchi was just an added bonus. Unable to contain his mirth, a peal of feminine laughter erupted from his lips, only to increase in intensity as realisation struck the incredulous samurai.

"YOU!" Toshimiru's disbelief turned to fury as he realised he had been duped. Ripping the long Katana blade from its sheath by his side, it slashed through the air, only to pass through the body of its target without leaving a mark.

It's work done, the watcher finally dispensed with its disguise. The figure of the girl vanished to be replaced with a vaguely humanoid figure of immense size but insubstantial like smoke. Looming over the warrior before it, a huge mouth gaped, threatening to swallow him whole, while eyes of fire burned in the creature's head.

A foul smell of evil and death filled the cavern as it swept down on the hapless warrior before it vanished in a silent explosion, returning to wherever it had come.

Yori retched as her senses were overwhelmed by this latest assault. By the time she regained control, she was alone. Except that is from the enraged undead warrior now looking for something on which it could vent its rage. 

Kim and Shego heard the sounds of the fighting long before they reached the end of the short passageway leading into the mountain. Sharing a worried glance, they stealthily crept up to the opening of the main cave, to be greeted by the sight of the scattered melee that was still ongoing.

Both women scanned the room, looking to see what they had come for.

"There he is!" Kim's whisper caused Shego to look in the direction she was pointing.

"Where?" she asked, scanning the general direction for the distinctive bulky form of the WEE leader.

"There." Kim's finger led the older woman's gaze to the sight of a young man flanked by two black clad ninja's, the blond floppy hair instantly identifying who she was looking for.

"Oh! Lover Boy. Well good luck with that."

Kim turned to look at her companion who had already turned away disinterested.

"But we've got to help him." Kim sounded like she was stating the obvious, but Shego wasn't having any of it.

"Sorry Pumpkin," she quipped, her eyes focussed on a distinctive purple uniform barely seen in the gloom. "I've got other fish to fry."

Without waiting for a reply she slipped out of the tunnel entrance and began to edge her way around the room.

Kim watched for a second or two before accepting that she really had been left. Cursing herself for not expecting it, she had too easily slipped into the mindset of thinking of the two of them as a team. It was just that they worked so well together, she had forgotten that they had very different goals.

Feeling a little deflated, the redhead headed down into the cavern, determined to meet up with Ron, certain that wherever he was, Yori wouldn't be far away.

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For a few moments after Yori left, Ron continued to stare, mouth agape, in the direction she had disappeared, before the arrival of the two men snapped him out of his trance.

Not sure what to do next, he looked around as the melee closed in on the vacuum left by Toshimiru's departure. Even as he went to move, a body crashed against him, slamming him in the back even as Makoto moved to intercept. Staggering under the impact, his wounded leg unable to take the additional weight, he turned just in time to see the body fall to the ground, its face obscured by long hair, not to mention the blood.

The outside world seemed to fade away as Ron slowly knelt down and brushed the hair away from its face to reveal a young girl, probably not even fifteen years old, her pretty face marred by the ugly gash just above her temple where she had been struck. Thick blood oozed from the wound as he desperately sought for a pulse but to no avail.

Tears pricked his eyes, and he squeezed them shut in an attempt to hold back the wave of emotion that swept over him; grief for a girl he had never even met that slowly but surely turned into a determined rage. Struggling to contain his passion, he remained kneeling in silence as the minutes ticked by. Eventually, he slowly rose to his feet, unfocused anger transformed into steely resolve as once more he felt the surge of MMP flowing through his veins.

Dragging his attention to the situation around him, he gave the two older men a determined look. "Right! Let's break this up while there's still a few people left alive to save!"

Makoto and Hirotake shared a look, uncertain how this could be achieved; they weren't left ignorant for long. Understanding that the mass hysteria gripping the Yamanouchi students wouldn't be negated by any reasoned argument, Ron went for a much more hands on approach. Stepping up to the nearest pair of battling ninjas, he grabbed each one by the back of the neck, and before they could react, crashed both their heads together, leaving them stunned and reeling.

With a single motion, he propelled them back; towards the incredulous duo who were now watching in amazement at the transformation. For the first time, they could see why Yori had believed in him. For the first time, they truly believed he was the Monkey Master. Quickly shaking off their surprise, they gently lowered their colleagues to the ground, and hurried to catch up with their leader.

Ron hadn't waited. Already moving to the next group, he slipped under the extended arm of his next target, his left hand grabbing the wrist as he imposed his body between the two opponents. Twisting his body and pulling his arm back towards his chest dragged the arm he had grabbed down, while his free arm moved to push his target's head in the direction he wanted him to go, while at the same time, his left leg thrust out behind him, catching the other combatant squarely under the ribs, driving the air from his lungs. With perfect balance he retracted his extended leg, keeping the knee up so that it drove straight into the face of the hapless ninja he was holding.

The injured man slid to the floor. His broken nose and blood covered face distracting him from any thought of continuing his vendetta against his foe who was himself in the process of collapsing as he tried to force air into his tortured lungs.

Ignoring them both, Ron moved on, closely followed by Makoto and Hirotake who took up flanking positions to cover his back while the Monkey Master cut a swathe through the battling throng.

This continued for several minutes, the pattern always the same. Ron would target a small group of battling students, intervene himself between the combatants and disable them with such precision and speed that before they even knew he was there, they had been neutralised. Behind him was a trail of bloodied and battered men and women. Subdued? Definitely. Unconscious? Probably. But alive; and essentially unharmed. The two men following in his wake began to think that there was nothing that could stop him when suddenly, he doubled over, clutching his chest and shrieking in an unearthly wail. Panic stricken, they rushed over to where he had collapsed to his knees, the agonised keen an expression of intense pain with no visible source.

"Stoppable San! Are you all right?" Makoto frantically shook his shoulder while Hirotake stood over the pair of them, guarding the now vulnerable young man.

The only answer he got was Ron's hollow voice repeating over and over. "It's gone! It's gone!"

As the agonising sensation shooting through his body subsided, Ron gradually became aware of the people around him. It had felt as if his very soul was being ripped from his chest, but after a few seconds, quickly dropped down to a dull ache. Inside, he felt a massive hole, as if his insides had been scooped out, and it took a few moments to register the cool slim hands cupping his chin, or the increasingly frantic feminine voice calling his name.

"KP" he gasped, every breath a struggle despite the pleasure he felt in seeing his oldest friend alive and well.

"Are you OK?" Her voice was harsh with fear. Her heart was still pounding from the sight of him collapsing while she was still half way across the room. Swiftly checking him over, she blanched at the sight of the wound in his leg, but that wasn't the cause of the pain she could see in his eyes.

"It's gone Kim. The Monkey Power, it's gone!" Ron grimaced as his lungs protested with every word. Grabbing her arm he pulled himself up as much as he could. "Something terrible must have happened."

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Shego cursed as her progress around the cavern was hampered once more by battling ninjas. Why couldn't they go kill themselves somewhere else? To make matters worse, the small group of WEE uniforms she had been stalking had ceased milling about aimlessly and were moving off, heading away from her towards the back of the cavern.

She didn't understand why her presence went unnoticed by the Yamanouchi, she wasn't arrogant enough to believe that she could sneak past the entire school without being seen, but for some reason they were ignoring her, and for that she was very grateful.

By the time a gap had opened up once more, she had lost sight of her target. Silently damning the entire lot of them to hell, she picked up her pace and tried to catch up.

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"Ron, calm down." Kim toned down her voice as she tried to pacify the agitated young man. "What do you mean the Monkey Power is gone? I thought you said you hadn't felt it for weeks."

Ron took a deep breath as he struggled to control his impatience.

"Ever since the Lotus Blade was stolen, I've been cut off from it" he explained. "But it was still inside me, I just couldn't access it."

His voice began to speed up as he started to get carried away by the urgency of his message.

"What I just felt was different. It was as if something reached inside of me and ripped it out."

Controlling himself once more, he pushed himself up to a sitting position before pausing as the pain in his leg grew. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock as another thought occurred to him.

"Rufus!"

He tried to push himself to his feet, knocking Kim sideways in the process, but the muscles in his damaged leg wouldn't hold his weight. Only Makoto's steadying arm prevented him from crashing to the floor.

Ignoring the pain, he tried to hobble in the direction he had last seen his pet disappear, only to find his way blocked by a resolute Kim Possible.

"What about Rufus?" Kim's voice was implacable as she restrained her friend. He was certainly in no condition to be moving around.

Ron's eyes pleaded with her as he looked into her face.

"He knew something. Something about that gold ring on his head I think. He knew where the Lotus Blade was and went to get it, but Toshimiru followed him."

His face paled as another thought struck him.

"Yori went after him too! We've got to get to them."

"You're going nowhere!" Kim looked at the two Japanese men flanking Ron as she said this, holding their gaze until she got a nod of agreement from the pair of them. Turning back to face the frantic Ron, she sought to calm his agitation. "I'll check it out, I'm sure they're fine."

Ron opened his mouth to argue, but she had already gone, disappearing into the darkness like Rufus and Yori before her. He made a move to follow, but was stopped by the restraining arm of his bodyguard. Finally giving into the pain in his leg, he sagged slightly, accepting that this was one mission he was going to have to miss.

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As Kim moved through the cavern, she found the going much easier than Yori had done. The crowd of battling ninjas had thinned as the number of casualties rose, and was focussed more towards the front of the cave, leaving the darkened back half sparsely populated. It was now mainly used as a refuge for the wounded seeking to escape the madness that had gripped the Yamanouchi School, and they were too wrapped up in their own hurt to give a thought for the young redhead flying through their midst. She quickly found the door through which Rufus and Yori had passed earlier, but she wasn't the first to arrive.

"What the hell are you doing here Princess?"

Kim jerked as Shego's dulcet tones hissed at her out of the darkness.

"Could ask you the same question." Kim quipped back once she had regained her equilibrium. "I thought you were after Gemini."

"I am." Shego turned back to the door, her hand reaching for the latch. "He's just ducked in here and I'm going to get what's mine, so stay out of my way."

Kim shrugged. She just positioned herself slightly to the right of the door, ready to follow the green thief through.

Shego hesitated for a fraction of a second before deciding she didn't care.

"Fine! If that's the way its gonna be, but don't even think of interfering. This is personal."

"OK by me." The steel in Kim's voice caused the older woman to blink, but she didn't want to waste any more time, and with a swift yank, she pulled the door open and slipped through. Kim didn't hesitate, she was right on her heels, the door closing behind her as she left the room. 


	16. Ch 15 End Game Part One

Shadows danced on the walls of the cave, cast by the flickering of torches now visible in the gloom left by the disappearance of the Lotus Blade. Yori flinched as she watched the warrior rage up and down the cavern, swearing foully and venting his anger on every inanimate object he could find. Seeing him distracted, she edged closer to where the Lotus Blade had been, looking for any clue as to what might have happened to it or to Rufus. Her movement only drew attention to herself however, reminding Toshimiru that he was not alone. Yori paled as he turned his attention on her, her fans once more snapping open in a reflex action even has her blood ran cold at the prospect of fighting him.

"Give it up Toshimiru!" Her voice sounded small in the large open space, and the slight quaver induced by the sight of the long dead samurai striding towards her with drawn katana didn't help. "With the Lotus Blade destroyed, there is nothing left for you here."

"Destroyed?" Toshimiru literally spat out the word in contempt. "Even Mikaboshi doesn't have that kind of power. He's stolen it, the honourless bastard!"

"Stolen?" The word slipped out involuntarily in Yori's confusion. Why would a god want the Lotus Blade?

Toshimiru spat on the ground with disgust. "Yamanouchi fool. You've guarded possibly the most powerful artifact ever created and you didn't even know it? Your stupidity is just one more justification for your eradication."

Having closed the gap between them, Toshimiru loomed over the young girl, his sword extended, the tip inches from her face, but there was not even the slightest tremor in his arm.

"The Magic Wishing Staff should have been mine. Would have been, without your interference and Mikaboshi's lack of honour."

Yori's had been staring mesmerized at the four feet of lethal steel pointed directly between her eyes, but the mention of the Wishing Staff jerked her out of her trance. Swallowing hard, she eventually dragged her gaze away and looked up at her opponent. Her mind whirled with the implications. The Lotus Blade was the Magic Wishing Staff? It was an object of legend, once wielded by King Monkey himself on his journey to India and allegedly used by the gods to create the Heavens.

Toshimiru's lip curled in derision as he watched her face pale in shock.

"So. You finally understand once it is too late for you. Time to pay for your interference."

The blade flashed forward, seeking the young girl's neck, but Yori's instincts were true, and it skidded off the metal blades of her fan as she directed the force away from her body. Snarling in annoyance, he followed up his attack with another lunge, once more being frustrated by the ninja's defence. It just served to enrage him even further.

"Insolent wench." His Japanese was archaic, but Yori had no problem understanding his intentions. His speed had come as a shock, only years of instinctive training had kept her alive so far, and her arms were already suffering from the power of the blows they had deflected. His strength was incredible.

Staggering back from the impact, she hurriedly regained her stance and flicked a glance at the exit. There was no chance of her making it before being cut down by the Samurai.

"It's over Toshimiru." She spoke more to bolster her own courage than anything else. She certainly had no illusions of her chances of getting out of this cave alive. "Without the Lotus Blade you are nothing. Yamanouchi will never follow you again."

Her voice steadied as she mentioned her school. At least she could die knowing that his hold over them was finished.

"You've lost your followers, your ally has betrayed you." Her tone changed to a dismissive taunt. She would probably die here, but her work was done and she was ready to move onto the next rotation of the wheel. Her opponent had failed in everything he had tried to do. He was nothing.

"You are nothing!" Resigned to her fate, she snapped her fans into position and waited for the end.

Toshimiru hesitated as her words hit home, then smirked.

"Not quite peasant."

He sent a mental summons, using the link that still existed between himself and his puppet. His initial intention of using the power of the Wishing Staff to destroy the good half of his soul was now unachievable, but with the global reach of WEE at his disposal, he could still wield enormous power. Enough to forever sully the name of the ancient warrior who had cursed him to this half-life for a thousand years. And maybe, with the wondrous technological advances that this world had produced, he could find a way of extracting his vengeance on that cur Mikaboshi.

Turning his attention to the defiant girl once more, he swept his blade up in a mocking salute to her bravery and leapt to the attack.

A feeling of calm settled over the young ninja as she twisted away from the attack. Even as the sword whistled through the air recently occupied by her body, she countered with her own strike, the sharpened tips of her metal bladed fan slashing at the small gap opened between the gauntlet and the leather sleeve of his armour.

It was a small target and moving fast, but Yori had trained since early childhood with these weapons and she knew their capabilities. Aimed with precision, the cutting edge sliced through the exposed skin of the warrior's wrist, or at least that is what should have happened.

Her eyes widened with shock as the blade skittered away, deflected by something unseen just as it should have sliced through the tendons of his wrist. The unexpected resistance to her blow caused her to stumble slightly, before she quickly recovered her balance and backed away. Her fans were held defensively before her, but Toshimiru didn't show any signs of concern. Smiling evilly at her confusion, he simply stepped forward and continued with his assault.

Yori winced as her wrist absorbed the impact of Toshimiru's latest blow on her fan, she wouldn't be able to keep this up for very long. She was now fighting a purely defensive battle; her attacker's speed was too great to even think about a counter-attack never mind the fact that he seemed impervious to harm. She was barely blocking his strikes as it was. Worse, she was starting to feel the effects of her exertions, whereas Toshimiru appeared as fresh as when he had started, he wasn't even breathing heavily.

Once more, she tried to take advantage of an opening. For a trained warrior, Toshimiru was taking a rather casual approach to this battle, leaving himself exposed far more that she would have expected. It meant he could press her harder but it also left him open to a counterstrike.

Her sharpened blades slashed at the exposed skin of his throat as she ducked under his latest swing, but once more it proved ineffectual. It was as if his very skin were impervious to her weapons.

Her eyes narrowed as she recalled her battle with the Oni at Ron's house. That had proved impervious to their weapons, until Jiro discovered its weakness to wood. Wasting no time, she sprang away from the contact, tucking her fans into her belt in one practices move, and snatching up one of the torches that lined the walls. Turning to face her attacker, she advanced resolutely towards him holding her new weapon in both hands.

Toshimiru looked on amused as he watched this new development. This girl might be low class ninja and a female, but her courage and intelligence made her a worthy opponent. She was still Yamanouchi, however, and as such, he would relish her death all the more.

Yori's first swing was batted away contemptuously by the warrior's sword. Her second deflected away with a deft twist of his wrist. Yori had trained with many weapons while at Yamanouchi, but in a straight up fight with a Samurai, there was only ever going to be one winner. From the first strike, she knew she was outclassed. He was a master of the sword, had practiced every day of his life while he had been alive, and had obviously retained his skill even after death.

Toshimiru was enjoying toying with the woman, but he wanted more. He could see she knew she was going to lose but she appeared to have come to terms with that knowledge. What he wanted was to break her before she died. With that in mind he watched her next swing, and made no attempt to stop it.

Yori knew something was wrong as soon as she unleashed her attack and Toshimiru made no movet to block it. Their eyes met just before the torch struck, and all Yori could see was amused contempt even as the force of the blow knocked her weapon out of her hands. If nothing else, the kinetic energy should have knocked the warrior off his feet, but he didn't even flinch.

Yori stepped back, her eyes betraying the horror she felt as she realized that she hadn't even given him a bruise.

"Fool." Toshimiru spat, even while relishing the crack in her composure. "I was formed by the power of the Wishing Staff itself. With it gone, nothing on this earth can harm me."

Bringing his sword back into position, satisfied that she would die in the knowledge that she had failed, he prepared to finish her.

Yori once more went for her fans, her mind whirling at this new revelation. If Toshimiru couldn't be harmed, there was nothing to stop him from destroying Yamanouchi. The deadly dance started again, this time with the ninja seeking only to defend herself while she looked for a chance to escape. The school had to be warned.

The end came with a distraction. The sound of the door behind her opening, drawing her attention to it for a fraction of a second before she could stifle the instinct to look, was all Toshimiru needed. As his next blow slashed at her ribs, she didn't have time to position her fans at the proper angle. Unable to direct the force of his blow away from her body, she staggered back and tripped. In her exhausted state, she couldn't break her fall properly, and her arm jarred on the hard stone floor. No longer able to maintain a grip, the fan slipped out of nerveless fingers and skittered across the ground out of reach.

Instinct drove her to get to her feet, her head still spinning from the impact, but before she could move, a heavy booted foot stamped down on her other wrist, forcing her to relinquish her hold on her remaining weapon. Dazed, Yori could do nothing as Toshimiru's fingers wrapped themselves around her throat, only beginning to struggle as he lifted her bodily from the floor, extending his arm so that she dangled from her grip, her feet a foot or more above the ground. His right hand still held his katana, but he no longer had any need of it. Reveling in the victory, Toshimiru laughed as he began to squeeze.

Yori scrabbled ineffectually at the fingers squeezing her throat, her legs kicking freely as she tried to escape. Toshimiru wasn't even looking at her any more; he was directing his followers to guard the door.

Lack of air increased the urgency with which she sought to break free, but his grip was like iron. He still didn't show any signs of strain, even holding a fully-grown woman at arms length in his left hand, effortlessly choking the life out of her as he organised his escape.

Her vision and hearing were becoming impaired, and she no longer had the strength to continue trying to break free. She barely heard him mention "the other door", even as her last desperate attempt to save herself failed, unable to move even one of the fingers choking off the supply of oxygen to her lungs. Out of time, her arms fell away weakly and her body flopped as she finally gave up the battle to break free.

Toshimiru grunted with distain as he realised the ninja had stopped struggling. With barely a grunt of effort, he flung the body away even as he turned to marshal his followers. It was time to leave this prison forever.

It was a show of strength that left the WEE henchmen who saw it speechless. The body flew several metres through the air, before crashing into one of the torches lining the walls, knocking it down and leaving that portion of the cave in relative darkness. It took several barked orders from Gemini and Alpha to get them moving again

The samurai watched as the few remaining WEE operatives rushed about under the commands of their leader. This Gemini was not ideal, his grasp on reality tenuous at best, and certainly not the most malleable of subjects, but for now there was no one else. More promising by far was his second in command, this Alpha.

From the first time he had met Gemini's lieutenant Toshimiru had seen his potential. He had also seen the gleam of a true fanatic in his eyes. The fact that he was a rejected Yamanouchi student was just the icing on the cake. Here was someone who would follow through belief rather than mind control, a far more reliable minion than that psychotic buffoon.

Toshimiru's plans for a future reorganisation of the WEE hierarchy were abruptly interrupted however, as the door so recently used by his own reinforcements burst open, revealing the angry figure standing behind it.

At first, he thought it was one of Mikaboshi's demons come to finish him off, the green skin and snarling visage suggesting it had infernal origins, and was surprised by the feeling of relief he felt as it turned its attention to his puppet.

"Gemini! I want a word with you!"

The words resonated around the chamber, as everyone stared in horror at the visibly furious Shego.

Realising that this intruder was merely human, despite the odd skin colour, Toshimiru regained his composure and moved to remove this latest delay to his plans, only to find his way blocked by yet another woman. It was starting to get annoying.

"Not so fast Mister."

The lack of respect in her voice caused the samurai's face to darken with anger. At least the ninja had acknowledged his station. This gaijin was talking as if they were equals. Sullying his sword on one so lowborn was unthinkable; he simply lunged with his gauntleted fist, fully expecting to end this fight quickly.

With the power of the Wishing Staff coursing through his body, his speed was phenomenal, far greater than any normal human, so to find his target sliding out of his way was his first surprise. The second was even less welcome, as the redhead used his own momentum against him by kicking him in the pit of his knee, causing him to crash unceremoniously to the ground.

Pushing himself up to his feet, his face dark with anger and shame, the mocking look on his tormentor's face simply drove his fury to even greater heights. With a roar he attacked again, but this time taking care not to overreach himself.

The next few minutes were a lesson in futility as he constantly failed to land a single blow, his opponent always managing to evade every attack. Her style was confusing. Every time he thought he had figured it out, it switched to something completely different. He had already identified three forms of kung fu and even something resembling the more barbaric Okinawan styles, but even this didn't go to explain the conundrum; some of her moves were just plain wrong.

Kim on the other hand was getting worried, although she didn't let it show. Whoever this nutcase was, and she had a pretty good idea thanks to Ron's somewhat garbled explanations, he was managing to keep up with her while wearing full armour, and wasn't even looking a little tired. Wearing him out obviously wasn't going to work; she would have to take him down earlier than she hoped.

She let herself slip into a routine, and saw his eyes narrow as he realized what she was doing. Hoping he would think it was a mistake rather than a trap, she waited until the set of his shoulders showed he was launching his next attack and made her move.

Her next step reversed her direction completely, passing the snarling Toshimiru by mere inches as he flew past her. It was something she could never have attempted if her attacker was holding back, but because she had fooled him into anticipating her next step he had committed himself and was unable to change direction in time.

Kim had timed it to perfection. Her left foot was planted firmly on the ground, and her right snapped towards the exposed back of the warrior. Just as he managed to halt his own momentum, her foot struck him right in the small of the back with all the force she could muster.

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Shego was having her own problems. The few WEE goons were quickly driven off, but her progress towards their boss was abruptly halted when Gemini's lieutenant stepped into her path. Not that she minded too much, she had plenty of scores to settle with him too, but it looked as if her primary target was trying to escape; she didn't have time for this.

"Move or burn." The flare of plasma power emitting from both hands accompanied Shego's growl, but her enemy appeared unfazed. He slid into a fighting stance and waited for her to make her move.

"Your funeral." Shrugging her shoulders at his defiance, she launched herself into the air, somersaulting over his head and twisting as she landed. Even as her feet touched the floor she struck, glowing fist aimed at her opponent's back, only to have it knocked away by his arm. To be fair, she hadn't really expected it to work. Anyone with any real level of competence wouldn't have been caught out by such a move, but she figured it was worth a try just in case. Following up her initial attack, she pressed the WEE lieutenant hard, not wanting him to settle into a rhythm, or at least not until she wanted him to.

She had to admit he was good. There was a talent there, and his Yamanouchi training had been augmented in the intervening years since his dismissal, but despite this, she never doubted her ability to win. Wanting to finish the fight quickly, she declined to follow up her next attack, allowing a small gap to open up between them. Even as her enemy looked up at her, puzzlement written all over his face, she launched her coup de grace.

A bolt of plasma shot forward, and Shego grinned as she saw he wouldn't be able to evade it in time. Her satisfaction didn't last long, however, as the ex-ninja calmly batted the glowing energy to one side. Her jaw dropped as her opponent raised his gaze to meet her own. His eyes crinkled with amusement at the shock evident on her face.

"What? You think we lived for hundreds of years with the Yeti without learning a thing or two?" Fukiyama reveled in her confusion. Time to show this bitch what a real evil sidekick could do.

Not giving her time to regain her composure, he took the offensive; his hands a blur as he unleashed the full fury of Tai cheng pek qwa. The ferocity of his attack drove her back; the sheer flurry of blows leaving her unable to do anything but maintain a desperate defence.

By the time he broke off his assault, both of them were breathing hard. Shego watched him warily as he recentered himself, ready for the next round. His posture betrayed his confidence; after all, without her plasma, she was just another woman.

"Your over-confidence will be your undoing." He taunted her, spreading his arms wide as if inviting her to take her best shot. Shego didn't hesitate. Leaping towards him, she led with a flaming fist aimed right at his face, every sinew of her being wanting to wipe that supercilious smirk off his face.

Seeing her plasma flare once more, he shook his head at her lack of imagination. Parrying the attack he let her flail away, her main weapon ineffectual against the special training he had received.

"You've relied on your power for too long" he mocked, enjoying the frustration evident on her face. "It has become a crutch for you to lean on."

He swatted away another strike, barely even bothering to move himself out of the way as her punches lost their focus. "Without your flame, what do you have left?"

"This!" The snarl broke through his complacency, as the previously flailing punches of his opponent suddenly stiffened into a full-blown strike aimed directly at his head. The flaring plasma obscuring the hand winked out to reveal, not the clenched fist he expected but instead a clawed hand, each finger tipped with long nails, sharpened to a point like the talons of an eagle.

The colour drained from his face as he struggled to adjust to this new threat. He tried to knock the arm away, but he didn't have time, and he screamed as the razor sharp nails sliced through the skin of his face.

Staggering back, he tried to wipe the blood from his eyes, but the four wounds across his face would not be staunched. Blinking furiously he tried to put some distance between them but, unable to see, he could do nothing about the foot that crashed into the side of his head.

The force of the impact spun him round, unconscious even before he hit the floor. Panting slightly, Shego watched him collapse before flicking her hair out of her eyes and turning to face the ashen faced Gemini.

The WEE leader was shocked to see his second in command beaten so comprehensively, especially as moments before he was convinced that he was going to win. Still, he hadn't attained the position of head of a global evil empire by being unable to react to unexpected circumstances.

The rocket raced towards its target, fired from the WEE leaders glove as a reflex action. It was one that cost him a lot of henchmen to be honest, but he didn't care as long as it kept him alive.

He soon found out, however, why firing rockets at an alert Shego was a bad idea. It hadn't even crossed half the distance to its target when it was blasted out of the air. Gemini backed away as the dangerous female stalked him from across the cavern. He fired three more projectiles, but his hand was shaking and they were easily evaded. All the while she was closing the gap between the two of them.

Gemini glanced left and right, looking for any minions he could put between himself and his foe, but they were all incapacitated. He turned to run, but before he could move, he was grabbed by the back of the collar and dragged to the ground. Before he could bring his glove to bear, a fist slammed into his face, causing his vision to swim for a few seconds.

While he was disorientated, Shego dragged him up by his jacket and propelled him backwards until he slammed into the cavern wall. A sharp jab in the stomach ensured he was in no fit state to resist, and she quickly checked his pockets until she found what she was looking for.

The small recording device was no match for several hundred degrees of heat. Shego watched it melt in her hand with satisfaction before turning to address the still wheezing WEE leader.

"Now! Let's discuss the concept of personal space shall we?"

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Kim threw her whole bodyweight into her kick. From what she had gathered from Ron, this Toshimiru had already tried to kill him, and was now aiming for Rufus. She didn't know what had happened to the mole rat, or Yori, but she was certain she didn't want this maniac free for any longer than necessary.

The shock of her impact ran up her leg, causing her to gasp in pain as her knee joint jarred painfully. The unexpected resistance caused her to lose her balance slightly, meaning she was slower to withdraw the leg than she would have liked.

Faster than a snake, Toshimiru scooped a forearm under the extended limb, catching it in the crook of his elbow. Even as he brought his fist up to his shoulder, trapping the foot, his other forearm swung down to strike the exposed kneecap.

Kim's scream of pain as her leg bent against the joint echoed around the cavern, even as Toshimiru released his hold and let the injured teenager fall to the ground. His attention had been caught by the events happening on the other side of the cave. Leaving his erstwhile attacker writhing in agony on the floor, he strode away without even a backward glance, confident that the wench wouldn't bother him again. 

Shego was enjoying Gemini's blustering, even as she waved a flaming hand in front of his face. The sweat beading on his forehead belied the stream of threats coming from his mouth. She wanted to savour this moment, but Kim's scream jolted her out of her complacency. After all, she had what she came for and all that remained was to teach Gemini why crossing her was a bad idea.

Before she could begin, however, a hand grabbed her round the back of her neck. Too quickly for her to react, she found herself flung across the cavern away from the still recovering Gemini. Twisting in the air, she managed to land on her feet, only to find herself staring at a relic of the past.

"What the hell?"

Pushing herself to her feet, she faced up to this new enemy.

"Hey Kimmie!" She shouted. "Take care of your own battles, don't dump them on me."

Toshimiru frowned at the attitude of this other woman. She wasn't even giving him her full attention. Well he would soon wipe that arrogant look off her face.

"I'm on it!"

Toshimiru whirled round at this unexpected turn of events and stared at the girl he had dispatched only moments ago. True, she was favouring her right leg, unable to put all her weight on it, but she should be writhing in agony on the ground, not standing behind him with every sign suggesting she was looking to resume the fight.

"You sure now?" Shego's voice switched to a more mocking tone now that she could see the heroine was OK. "I mean it looks like you lost the last round!"

Kim growled. She was already annoyed at the beating she had just taken, and having Shego of all people there to see it was just the icing on the cake.

It wasn't just Kim who took umbrage at Shego's jibes. Toshimiru was outraged at the implication that this strange green woman could face him.

"Get out!" His snarl directed at the still frozen Gemini. "I will meet you outside once I have disposed of these …" he turned back to cast a contemptuous sneer at the two women, "females."

Gemini certainly didn't waste any time. He pulled himself together and ran into the shadows, presumably towards an escape route hidden in the darkness.

Kim's eyebrows shot up at such a sheer display of undisguised misogyny.

"Welcome to the 21st Century." She quipped as she launched herself into a handspring. As she pushed off, she tucked her legs up into her chest and somersaulted over the stationary Japanese warrior, spinning in mid air and snapping a kick at his exposed head. "Emancipation is great, you should check it out some time."

Shego on the other hand, couldn't care less what the two of them got up to. She was more concerned about losing Gemini. Years of experience fighting the teenager meant that as soon as Kim began her attack, Shego knew exactly what she was attempting. She timed her move to perfection, so that she reached the spot currently occupied by the warrior at exactly the same time he was knocked out of the way by Kimmie's kick.

Kim's foot caught Toshimiru cleanly on the jaw. There was no way his neck could have resisted the blow, and indeed his head did snap back even as it was turning to follow the unexpected movement of its target. However, that was the extent of her success.

Shego suddenly found herself running straight into the still standing samurai, bouncing off his chest with and audible "Ooof". Before she had time to recover, she was struck across the side of her face with the back of his gauntleted hand, knocking her to the ground. The force of the blow left her head spinning, a large bruise already beginning to show on her cheek, leaving Toshimiru free to concentrate on the other woman daring to interfere with his plans.

Kim landed awkwardly; her already damaged knee jarring painfully as it tried to take her weight. Wincing, she looked up just in time to see Shego's ill-fated attempt to get past Toshimiru. She already respected his ability to take the hits, but seeing him slap down the super-villain so easily warned her he could dish out the punishment as well as take it.

As he turned his back on the stunned thief, Kim crabbed sideways, partially to give her more room, but also to try and lead this seemingly invincible foe away from the helpless Shego. She wasn't panicking yet, she had too much experience in dealing with seemingly unbeatable enemies to ever lose hope, but she was stalling for time while her mind raced to find a solution.

Toshimiru had other ideas, however. It was time to finish this, honour be damned. Kim's eyes widened as she watched the sword slide out of its scabbard. There was something intrinsically real about four feet of sharpened steel that was missing from the various death rays, glowing pain sticks and Spinning Tops of Doom © that she usually faced. As he strode purposefully towards her, she backed away, unwilling to re-engage until she had some idea of how she was going to tackle him.

She soon discovered her damaged leg was hampering her more than she thought. She was almost unable to avoid Toshimiru's initial rush. A frantic roll to the side was all that saved her when her first attempt to spring away was foiled by her leg collapsing under her weight.

The follow-up attacks found her desperately scrambling away from repeated swings of the katana until she finally managed to get a hand on her hairdryer. As she ducked under yet another sword thrust, she fired her grapple into the roof of the cavern and swung away from the enraged warrior who looked on in amazement.

She didn't get far. Even as she sailed through the air, Toshimiru ripped the smaller Wakizashi from the scabbard on his belt and sent the sword spinning through the air. Not aimed at the agile teenager, but slicing through the rope she was suspended from.

As soon as Kim felt the tension slacken in the rope that was supporting her, she knew she was in for a bad landing. She tucked herself into a ball as best as she could, but nothing could fully cushion her from the impact as she hit the unforgiving stone floor. Grunting with pain, she rolled into the fall, spreading the pressure across her whole body but unable to prevent the concussive blow as her head struck a rocky protrusion.

Sheer willpower was all that kept her from passing out. Fighting back the encroaching blackness she struggled to focus her blurred vision, fully aware that she was being stalked. Even as she struggled to retain consciousness, one object stood out against the blurred background. Only a few inches away from her head was the lacquered hilt of the sword that had brought her down.

Still partially disorientated, she reached out with her right hand and clasped her fingers around the weapon. Driven by instinct honed over many years, she rolled on her back and brought the sword across her chest, her left hand supporting the blade just in time to intercept the downward sweep of a much larger weapon.

Toshimiru growled with frustration as he watched his strike be deflected by the steel. Sparks flew as the two blades met, but his initial attack had been driven by anger and frustration. The next would be controlled by art and design.

"Time to finish this once and for all." he growled as he raised the katana above his head for the final blow.

"Bet your sweet ass it is." The hiss in his ear preceding a sudden roar of pain as two glowing fists slammed into his back.

Never in his short existance had Toshimiru experienced such pain. The fire burned his very being as if it reached deep down into his soul. Shego's face broke into a wicked smile as she watched the body contort in agony. It was a relief to find someone who wasn't immune to her powers. In fact she was so busy revelling in the effect she was having that she didn't notice the elbow strike until it was too late.

It was only a glancing blow, but it was enough to break the contact between herself and the warrior. Toshimiru staggered away, tendrils of smoke curling up from small gaps in his armour showing the effect Shego's comet powers had had on him. The revelation that there was a source of energy that had the power to hurt him made him cautious. Sweeping his Katana into a guard position he reassessed his position. No longer confident that he was invulnerable, he centered himself and prepared to fight as if his very existance depended upon it.

An experienced fighter, Shego didn't miss the change in his demeanour. His stance was more steady, his eyes more focussed, she knew that all she had done was made him more dangerous and her own eyes narrowed in response. Twice now he had shown the ability to catch her off guard, she wasn't about to let him make it three.

Movement to her left let her know that Kim was back on her feet. Not that she expected anything different. In over three years of fighting the teenager, she had never known her to give up. What did surprise her was that the redhead was still clutching the sword she had picked up. Kim never used weapons, but it looked like she was ready to make an exception, and she certainly held it as if she knew what she was doing.

There was no discernable communication between the two women, but years of fighting each other had given them a deep understanding of how their minds worked. As one they leapt to the attack, each taking one side to prevent the swordsman from focusing on one target.

Shego cursed as the long blade whipped towards her head, jerking herself away just in time but losing momentum and leaving Kim momentarily exposed. She still couldn't believe how fast he was. Taking advantage of the space she had just given him, he reversed his swing and struck at the redhead attacking on his left. Shego was momentarily blinded by her hair but she heard the clash of blades as Kim intercepted the blow.

Toshimiru's sneer of contempt confirmed the thief's assumption that weapons were not one of Princess' specialities and she hurled herself back into the fray, seeking to draw his attention away from Kim's lack of expertise. She needn't have bothered. Toshimiru knew who the real threat was and was only interested in the green skinned demon as he thought of her. Shego suddenly found herself charging straight onto an extended blade as the swordsman reversed his attack yet again.

"Oh Shit!"

The words slipped out as she flung herself to one side before she impaled herself. Losing balance she slipped and fell, rolling desperately away in an attempt to escape. The first strike missed by inches, sparks flying as the folded steel struck stone instead of the raven tressed head it had been aimed at. Shego kicked out in desperation only to have her foot swatted away in contempt. Toshimiru raised the katana for the final blow when Kim attacked him from behind. Seeing Shego lying vulnerable and exposed, a red mist had descended and, clutching the unfamiliar sword in both hands, she screamed her defiance and stabbed him in the back of the leg.

Shego saw her attacker hesitate and look down behind him. What she couldn't see was Kim staring stunned at the broken hilt of her sword as the blade shattered under the force of the blow. Still, she knew an opening when she saw one and didn't hesitate in exploiting it. Both arms reached out, seeking to grab his other arm and pull herself up, but the samurai was only distracted for a moment. Ignoring the ineffectual girl, he turned his attention to the dangerous one. Even as her hands closed on his left arm, his right brought the hilt of his sword down, striking the thief on the back of her head with all the force he could muster.

It would have killed a normal human, and even Shego reeled under the force of the impact. Falling back to the floor she was defenceless to protect herself as Toshimiru reversed his grip and stabbed down with his blade. For a brief moment she saw her death approaching before her entire vision was blocked by a rush of purple rising rapidly from the floor.

Mego had always accepted that he had the least impressive ability of all his siblings, at least in the eyes of observers. In that brief surge of growth, however, his power was on a par with Hego. Toshimiru felt his arms strike an unstoppable force, pushing the descending blade up and away from the prone female. His vision was suddenly blocked by a shock of black hair and a grinning face and before the samurai could react, the superhero butted him in the face.

Both men reeled back, Mego clutching his forehead while Toshimiru bent down, his free hand covering his nose. The look he gave the little man left no doubt as to his intentions. Mego barely had the time to recover before Toshimiru regained his composure. Sweeping the blade above his head in a two handed grip, the blade parallel to the floor and directed towards this new threat, the warrior roared a challenge and charged. Mego blanched as he watched the rapidly approaching figure. He risked one quick glance to where his sister still lay, but Shego was still trying to shake off the concussion she had received. Swallowing down his fear, he braced himself for impact.

It never came. Only two feet from his target, Toshimiru found himself yanked off his feet, his momentum dragged to a shuddering stop, only to find himself face to face with yet another masked figure.

Hego's face was implacable as he stared down the latest super villain to threaten his family. His sense of responsibility for all of them had never diminished, even after they had all grown up, and he took attacks like this personally.

"You hurt my sister!" He gave Toshimiru a shake even as the japanese man struggled to break free. "Now you've got me to deal with!"

With all his strength, Hego flung him through the air until he struck the cavern wall with a sickening crunch. The force was so powerful that a great lump of rock cracked under the impact, showering the now motionless warrior in debris while the founder of Team Go watched in grim satisfaction.

"Took your own sweet time!" Mego snapped. He was hadn't moved from his protective stance over his sister, but he now had his hands folded over his chest and was glaring at his older brother. "He nearly got us both!"

"Huh?" Hego stared incredulously at the purple man. "Some of us can't just shrink and run through the legs of about a hundred battling ninja's Mego. Half of those fools thought I was attacking them or something. I still got here in time!"

Mego snorted at this. "Turned up at the end to grab all the glory you mean; I got here ages ago!" He prodded his older brother in the chest with his finger. "If you didn't spend so long poncing about we could have wrapped this up before sis got hurt."

Hego clenched his fists as his face darkened with anger.

" Don't even go there brother, she can look after herself." He slapped Mego's hand away and shook his own finger in his younger brother's face. "You've never given a damn about anyone else in your life except yourself. I very much doubt you've started now."

"Screw you Hego!" Mego's voice rose in anger as he stepped away from where Shego lay, adjusting his height until he stood nose to nose with his older brother. "She's my sister too you know, I care about her at least as much as you do."

"You'd better watch it Mego." His voice growled with fury. "One day I might not make it in time, then what will you do? You have no idea what a weight that responsibility is."

"Because you're the only one who can handle it?." Mego's voice rose in volume and he leaned in until they were both glaring at each other. "Maybe I shouldn't turn up. Leave you to blunder into trouble and see how you cope without me to cover your ass!"

"How about neither of you turn up and leave me in peace to deal with this frikkin HEADACHE!"

The low feminine voice cut through both men's arguments causing them to jump apart guiltily to reveal a severly pissed off Shego sitting on the floor, one hand still clutching the back of her head.

"You OK Sis?" Mego was the first to speak, taking one step forward before her angry glare stopped him cold.

"What, and don't even begin to think there's actually an answer to this question that will save you from a plasma enema, are the two of you morons doing here?" Shego pushed herself to her feet, groaning slightly as the throbbing in the back of her head intensified.

Both men shared a guilty look which only angered their sister even more.

"Err. . ." Hego hesitated, acutely aware that she wasn't going to be happy whatever he said. "Saving you?"

"And you knew where I was how exactly?"

Somehow, she had closed the gap between them without either of them seeing her move. It was an ability she had had since childhood, even before the comet, and it was always an unnerving experience. Now, of course, she had flaming plasma to empasise her displeasure and both brothers audibly gulped. Hego couldn't resist a sideways glance at his younger brother, a look his sister didn't miss.

"I knew it!" She grabbed Mego by the ear and twisted, causing him to stand on tip-toe in an attempt to lessen the pain. "So was it your idea or did the fat oaf put you up to it?"

Mego squealed at the pain, and Hego's muttered "Leave him alone Shego" went totally ignored as the female member of Team Go once more asserted her dominance. All three of them were ready to launch into a full blown family row when another voice broke through the strained atmosphere.

"Hey! Guys!" All three siblings turned to look at the exasperated redhead who had interrupted them. "You think we could finish defeating the bad guy BEFORE you start fighting each other?"

"I think you'll find..." Hego's voice tailed off as he looked over to the pile of rubble still covering the armoured body of Toshimiru. A cascade of rocks were falling to the ground as the warrior pushed himself to his feet once more.

"Damn it!" Shego said, giving her head one final rub before igniting her hands once more. "What is it about men? don't they know when to stay down?"

Mego watched nervously as the figure stood up. He showed no ill effects from his brief fight with Hego, even his armour showed no effect of having been buried under half a mountain. "How can he be getting up? He's not human!"

"He's not!" Kim's voice made the spindly man jump as she moved past him to face up to the angry samurai. "He's been dead for a thousand years, or so Ron told me."

"He... He's a Zombie?" The colour drained from Mego's cheeks as he watched Toshimiru brush fragments of rock from his shoulders.

"Whatever!" Shego pushed past him, her shoulder barging him out of the way as she lined up with Kim. "He can be hurt, that means I can beat him."

"We can beat him." Hego's deep voice caused her to look to her left, an annoyed look on her face as he took his place by her side. He turned to meet her gaze. "We're a team sis, however much you want to believe otherwise."

"You keep thinking that if it makes you feel better." Shego turned back to glare at Toshimiru's armoured form. The samurai had picked up his sword and was watching them as the lined up against him, reassessing his position and planning his next move. "At least you had the sense to keep the twins out of it."

"Actually, they're in the other room helping Ron." Mego blurted out the words before he could stop himself.

Shego flung him a glare, but didn't have time to say anything as Toshimiru charged.

Kim was the first to held his sword in a two handed grip, level with his shoulder, the blade pointing vertically to the roof. As the redhead closed the distance, he swung the weapon at waist height, the razor-sharp edge slicing through the air with a speed that belied his size. Kim dropped her shoulder and launched herself into a roll, ducking under the swing which missed by inches, and used her momentum to drive both her feet into the warrior's stomach.

Toshimiru grunted under the impact, but he didn't crumple like Kim had expected. Her back grated painfully on the cavern floor as she bounced off his armoured body, and it was only Shego's timely arrival that prevented her from being skewered by the reverse swing of his sword. He switched targets without hesitation, thrusting his blade at the rapidly approaching woman's head, but it was batted away by her glowing hands.

Shego didn't miss a beat as she swept the weapon out of her way. Spinning on her heel, she thrust her flaming fists straight into his face. Knowing he wasn't human removed all restraint she may have felt. Whatever he was, he was not of this world and as such, she felt no guilt about removing him from it.

But the power inside Toshimiru was not so easily defeated. Roaring with pain, he backed away from the burning hands, but Shego did not escape unscathed. A black miasma formed around the warrior, repelling her with a violent retort. She hissed with pain as agony shot up her arms, and looking at the samurai, it appeared he had quickly recovered from her attack.

Slightly slower than the other two, Hego now took advantage of Toshimiru's distraction and slammed his shoulder into the exposed ribs of the warrior. Once more, the black aura engulfed the two men, Hego's blue Go Glow battling to break through this new mystical shield that appeared to be protecting his adversary. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the lancing stabs of pain and wrapped his arms around the armoured man's chest and began to squeeze.

Toshimiru's roar of pain echoed throughout the cavern, but he had not given up the fight. He had dropped his sword under the crushing impact of the blue man's blow, but he brought his two hands up and slammed them both into Hego's ears. Twice, Hego managed to shake off the blows, but the third strike left him reeling as his head swam under the relentless pounding.

"No Way!" Migo's gasp of disbelief at someone breaking free from his brother's grip told Kim everything she needed to know about how dangerous the situation they were finding themselves in really was. Seeking to distract the seemingly invincible warrior from the momentarily helpless Hego, she launched herself into the air, tucking her knees into her chest and somersaulted over the intervening space between them, kicking out with both legs as soon as she got into range. Toshimiru barely flinched under the impact, but Kim had reckoned with his invulnerability and bounced off his head, landing in a perfect handspring and flipping back onto her feet with barely a flinch.

It was enough of a distraction that the next attack caught the samurai off guard as Shego slammed her fists into his back, at the same time as Mego hit him from the other side. Buckling under the double impact, the dark shield once more came to his rescue, flaring up where the two Go team members had struck, repelling their attack and leaving the embattled warrior free once more.

Kim frowned as Toshimiru shook off the latest attack. The constant barrage from Team Go was having some kind of effect, his hair was a dishevelled mess instead of the smartly groomed effect he had effected, but other than that, there was no hint of him flagging under the onslaught. Not wanting to relieve the pressure, she launched another futile attack, knowing it would have little effect, while she racked her brains for anything that might turn the tide.

Shego sniffed as Hego offered her his hand, but she took it anyway, pulling herself up from where she had landed. She saw Kim running rings around the snarling Japanese man, her cheerleading skills allowing her to evade all his attempts to pin her down, but all of her skill couldn't hide the fact that she wasn't attempting to actually attack. It was an effective diversion, however, and gave the two siblings a breather.

"Any ideas sis?" Hego frowned as he watched the young girl flip out of the way of Toshimiru's hand. Despite his size and armoured body, he was frighteningly fast, it was just that Kim was faster still. The fact that his super strength hadn't been enough to restrain his foe had shaken him more than he wanted to acknowledge.

"Yeah. I do." His sister's grim voice brought a frown to Hego's face. The same thought had been in his mind, but it wasn't his place to suggest it. Shego was the one who would have to bear the brunt of what she was proposing to do.

"You sure Sis? We could ..."

"What?" The woman cut him off. She didn't relish having to go through with what she was suggesting, but she could see no other way. "Keep trying what hasn't worked before?"

She took a deep breath as she resigned herself to what was to come.

"I don't know what he is, but he isn't human" she said as she looked around to see what had happened to her younger brother. His presence was revealed as he suddenly appeared behind Toshimiru, only to catch an elbow in the face. His purple Go glow matched by an equal flaring of the black shield that appeared to be protecting the samurai.

"Whatever that thing is," Shego gestured at the phenomenon. "It isn't natural. We need to hit it with everything we've got."

Hego didn't argue. He didn't have any other better ideas; his main concern was whether it would be enough.

They watched as Kim moved in to cover Mego's retreat, striking at Toshimiru's back as he turned to face the little purple man. The warrior grunted under the attack, but he seemed to be getting stronger, as the impact had little effect. Fortunately Kim had anticipated this and was already moving back has he lashed out with a gauntletted fist.

"Kim!" Shego's shout echoed through the chamber as she reached out and grabbed her still reeling brother and dragged him to safety. "Keep him busy!"

She didn't wait to see Kim's nod of acknowledgement. Instead she dragged Mego back to where she stood with Hego, letting the older brother explain what was going on while she closed her eyes and forced herself to block out all external distractions while she sought her centre.

Shego felt time slow as she achieved a state of calm she hadn't felt since before leaving her previous life as a superhero. Her eyes opened and she watched the redheaded cheerleader dance with her designated target, the movements perceived in slow motion as her state of consciousness switched to another level.

"Kiiiiimmmmm MMMooooooovvvve!" Hego's bass cut through the air as the woman waited for her moment. She was vaguely aware of the other members of her family nearby, and the only thought in her mind was that at least the twins weren't part of this madness before even that small distraction was pushed to one side as she centered her being.

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Kim didn't know what was going on, but she trusted Shego enough to know that they were planning something. Her job was to keep Toshimiru busy while they set it up. In response, she closed the gap she had been maintaining between herself and Toshimiru, pushing her body to the limit as she sought to avoid the attacks of her enemy. She had already recognised his style, an archaic japanese martial art Atemi Waza. Deadly when practised by an expert, and Toshimiru was no slouch, but somewhat lacking in the finesse of later styles.

"Kim! Move!" Hego's barked order snapped across the distance between them, and Kim didn't hesitate. Half way through a hand spring, she cartwheeled away, causing Toshimiru to stagger slightly as he lost his balance when his expected target suddenly wasn't there.

His roar of pain as the green flame struck him from behind was terrifying to hear. As Kim landed on one knee, her head snapped up to see Toshimiru arching his back in agony under the sustained assault from Shego's flame. The older woman stood, legs akimbo, with her arms extended before her, fingers intertwined to form one large fist. Kim had seen this display of power once before, the memory of the shattered tree on the island still fresh in her mind, but even as she watched, that black shield once more formed to protect the warrior from the attack.

She watched as, protected from Shego's destructive power, Toshimiru turned to face this new attack. From his stance, she could see that even this was not enough to take down the undead warrior. Her face fell, but even as she gave up hope, Hego and Mego reached out and placed their hands on their sister's shoulder. Kim's eyes widened as two more colours mixed in with the previously solid green beam, the light blue and mauve sections merging perfectly to form a triumvirate.

The sudden increase in power was too much for Toshimiru to withstand. As the enhanced beam struck him in the chest, he was picked up and flung violently against the far wall of the cavern, but he didn't fall. Pinned to the rockface, he struggled to escape as the three-coloured beam clawed at the flaring black shield that still fought tenaciously to protect the man behind it.

The watching redhead had to look away as the light grew too intense to watch, flaring around the barely visible body of Toshimiru, now completely enveloped in that black shield. It pulsed, the intensity of the colour waxing and waning as it struggled to contain the sheer elemental power being poured into it.

Unable to watch the target, she switched her gaze to the trio of superheroes standing stock still with Shego at it's apex. Kim had to force down a sudden wave of intense emotion as she watched the woman she owed so much, joining the forces of good she had battled for so long. Biting her bottom lip to prevent a sob of pride, she couldn''t take her eyes off the sight of Team Go unleashing their ultimate power.

Seconds passed, with the multi-coloured beam of energy never faltering, although Kim could see that the effort was starting to take its toll. Mego had his eyes closed, and she could see beads of persperation forming on his brow. Hego too was looking somewhat worse for wear, his shoulders slumped under the strain, but worst of all was the effect it was having on Shego.

Her head was down, no longer able to expend the energy to hold it up. Her hair, usually so vibrant and luxuriant was lank, plastered to her forehead by sweat as she strained to keep control. No longer able to stand, she dropped to one knee, but still she maintained the steady beam of power that hammered into its target.

"Shego." Hego's voice was strained as even the effort of talking was too much. Mego couldn't even speak. His face was pale and he was swaying, with only the hand resting on his sister's shoulder keeping him upright. Kim held her breath as she watched, helpless to intervene, time seemed to stand still as the power continued to flow from the trio of superheroes, pinning Toshimiru to the wall despite all his efforts to break free.

She couldn't even see him now, the multicoloured beam engulfed the black shield that was desperately striving to protect him, the bright light causing afterimages to imprint themselves on her retina until she had to turn away.

Eventually, Shego could take no more. The beam of power cut off, leaving Kim blinking in the sudden darkness as eyes struggled to adjust to the suddenly reduced light levels. Barely able to see, she could just make out the blurred forms of Team Go, but she couldn't miss the slowly collapsing forms as they dropped to the floor. Behind her, Toshimiru too fell to the ground, no longer supported by the beam of power that had previously pinned him to the wall. The shattered rock behind him followed, burying him under a ton of stone causing a choking cloud of dust to billow away from his tomb.

Kim staggered her way towards Team Go; her progress hampered by her lack of night vision but, blinking furiously, by the time she reached them she had regained at least some of her sight. Hego was the least affected, but even he was down on one knee, no longer able to stand. Shego and Mego were much worse.

Both lay prone on the rocky floor, Mego moaning softly while Shego was curled up, limbs shivering as an aftereffect of the power that had recently flowed through her arms.

"Shego?" Kim dropped to the floor and placed a hand on her shoulder, her heart hammering in her chest as she rolled the raven haired woman onto her back. Shego groaned as her arms flopped by her sides. Kim blinked away tears as she wiped long strands of black hair away from the green woman's face.

"You OK?" She gently cradled Shego's head in her lap as she wiped beads of sweat from her forehead.

Shego didn't respond, but she did relax under the gentle touch of Kim's hand. She took comfort from the cool touch on her face, and the frownlines on her forehead smoothed under the minstrations of the cheerleader. Slowly, the raging fire in her brain began to ease, and she started to register what was going on around her . The first voice she heard was Hego's.

"She'll be fine." The deep rumble of his voice the first thing she could hear. "It just takes a few minutes."

"Are you sure?" Shego struggled to identify the strange catch in Kim's reply. Was she crying? "She looks so pale."

"It's just that she can't handle the power levels for very long and over did it." A spark of irritation flashed through Shego's mind. How many times had she tried to explain it to him, he still couldn't grasp the concept that it wasn't the power levels that were the problem, but the effort it took to hold them together.

Her sensory reception must be improving as she registered a change of light levels as Kim bent over her face. She could feel the tickle of the redhead's hair brushing her face and the soft caress of her hand on her cheek. It was a soothing sensation totally ruined by Hego's voice.

"Every time we do it she suffers like this. You don't know how much I wish it was me the burden fell on, but she is the only one of us with the ability to project her power externally."

"Yeah, Yeah. It's all about her. How about someone worries about me for a change?" Mego's whine as he pushed himself up from the floor was the last straw. The serenity of the situation was totally ruined, and despite herself, she found herself regaining her senses.

"Shego?" Ignoring the two men, Kim's concerned query was in response to the prone woman's groan as she regained full consciousness.

Shego struggled to rise, somewhat discomforted to realise she had been resting on the teenagers thighs,

"What?" the tone harsh as she tried to hide her embarrasment. She groaned again as her head throbbed while she pushed herself to her feet. Still, at least it was an honest headache instead of those mind-numbing pains she had been experiencing recently. This one she knew the cause of, and that it would soon pass.

"I was worried." Kim's crestfallen face echoed the subdued tones of her voice. Shego felt like a heel as the teenager's face crumpled under the harsh snap and she couldn't help but soften her voice in response.

"I'm Okay. Really." She reached out and touched Kim's shoulder, an action that caused Hego's eyes to narrow at his sister's uncharacteristic behaviour, even as he registered Kim's grateful, if teary, smile. "So! How's Mr Moto? Deep Fried?"

Kim glanced over to the pile of rubble that marked Toshimiru's resting place. A tentative smile played across her lips as she watched a few pebbles falling down the side of the unstable heap. It was a smile that slipped as more and more rocks began to move, the whole pile moving as the still smoking form of Toshimiru rose up from beneath the rubble.

"No Way!" Mego's disbelieving voice expressing everybody's thoughts. The armour was scorched and battered, steam rose from various rents and gashes but the furious face of the samurai was unmistakeable.

"Zap him again?" Kim's hopeful request drew nothing but consternation from the members of Team Go.

"We gave him everything we've got." Hego's comment just beating Shego's reply "We've nothing left."

Mego didn't speak. He was too busy watching horrified as the seemingly unbeatable warrior bent down and picked up his katana.

"HEY!" Kim's shout jerked them all from their disbelieving trance. We're heroes. We don't give up!" She glared at each and every one of them until she was sure she had their attention.

"Now you three are the only ones who can hurt him apparently, so whatever happens, it ends here."

"Kim, I don't think we can ..." Shego's voice trailed off as she caught the full glare of Kim's determined face.

"Yes you can, you just need a little time to recover." she spun away, pausing only to look over her shoulder. "And I can give you that."

"KIM No!" Shego lunged forward but was restrained by her two brothers.

"Shego!" Hego's voice was stern as he prevented his sister from pulling away. "She's right, what else can we do?"

"Not that I'm disagreeing with you Bro' but we already shot our load and it wasn't enough. What makes you think it's going to work this time?

Hego didn't have an answer, he just frowned. Shego shook herself free from her brother's grasp. She didn't know what to do either, she just knew she had to do something.

The sound of the door opening behind them caused them all to jump. Three heads whirled round as one, only to see the cheeky grin of a red clad Wego peering round the door.

"Hey, we're just mopping up in here, how's it going at your end?" 


	17. Ch 16 End Game Part Two

The Island of Honshu nestles like an emerald in the azure Sea of Japan. Home to Tokyo, the greatest metropolis in the world, it is a land of contrasts from the bright lights of the capital, to the more leisurely pace of rural Japan. Lush arable land mixed with the soaring peaks of the Japanese Alps, a land of mystery that even in the 21st century holds many surprises.

One such surprise rises up from rolling foothills heavily terraced with paddy fields, via orchards bearing soft fruit to the wilder forests of the upper slopes; Mount Yamanouchi.

Now known as the "Mountain of Cultivated Land", it was once known by another more ancient name, The "Mountain of Fruit and Flowers". Forgotten in the mists of time, barely even remembered in legend, it was the kingdom of King Monkey, Great Sage equal of Heaven, and his legacy lives on even now, unknown to all but the most learnèd.

The Lotus Blade. A weapon of unimaginable power, it had lain hidden for millenia before it was discovered by Toshimiru, Samurai and founder of the Yamanouchi Ninja School. He used its mystical abilities to carve out the mountainside to house the greatest and most secretive training ground of ancient Japan for he knew the true nature of what he had found.

Hidden from human eyes since the time of legends, the Magic Wishing Staff, once used by the gods themselves to create the heavens, lay waiting for its time to come again. A time when it would shake the very fabric of the universe and all creation would hang on a single thread, thin as silk.

Such was its destiny, and who could tell how history should have developed, but for the vanity of one man's ego. Unwilling to submit to the vagiaries of the Wheel of Life, Toshimiru used the power of the staff to separate himself from all that was base and unworthy in his human nature, seeking a shortcut to the enlightenment he believed was his due.

But Karma is not so easily bypassed. His soul split in two by the power of the Staff, he found himself entangled in a web of his own making. Unable to move on due to the fractured nature of his spirit he remained trapped, until time and circumstance brought one aspect of his being back into the world.

From another dimension, the entry into the world of a nameless entity of extreme power acted as a catalyst that gave his baser instincts, the yin side of his soul, form. Once a powerless shade, its influence grew, and slowly began to corrupt the very organisation placed there to protect the world from such things. Aided by a demon or Oni provided by his benefactor, Toshimiru's dark side stole the Lotus Blade and killed the one man with the knowledge and power to stop him before he could gain his full power.

Only when he moved to eliminate the prophesied threat of the Chosen One did his plans begin to unravel. A vessel gifted with the power of King Monkey himself, it was a threat that could not be ignored, but through the sacrifice of a small band of junior Yamanouchi students, his great Oni was destroyed and his presence was revealed.

The end result of that failure faced him now. Her red hair flowing loose in the cool air, Kim Possible was using every ounce of skill in her being to frustrate the angry Samurai as he sought to break free and continue his plans to destroy all that was good in the world.

Cheerleader, baby-sitter and part-time world saviour, she was at the top of her game. Her body flowed through the air as she avoided his flashing blade, taking every chance to slip in under his guard and launch an attack only to spin away before he could pin her down, all the time distracting him away from the fact that there was nothing she could actually do to hurt him.

It was a lesson she had had trouble accepting, unwilling to believe that there was no solution to the problem before her, but she couldn't deny the evidence that only one power had had any effect on the undead warrior. So she did what she did best, spoiling the plans of the evil supervillain when all hope appeared lost.

Meanwhile, fifty feet away, the one force that could actually hurt Toshimiru's shade were also doing what they did best.

Arguing.

"I don't give a damn how old we were, they aren't doing it!" Shego's face was set in a determined snarl as she growled at her older brother. Hego looked more conciliatory as he tried to get his volatile sister to see sense, but it was Mego who spoke next.

"Come on Shego, what else can we do?" The little man was watching the battle going on a few feet away nervously. He had already faced the enraged warrior once and wasn't looking forward to having to do it again.

He found his attention dragged away from the fight when a black gloved hand grabbed him by the collar and he found himself face to face with his older sister.

"We'll come up with something" she growled, pressing her face hard into that of her brothers, their noses and foreheads touching as she leaned into him, to better emphasise her point. "We always do."

"Don't we get a say in this?" The Wego twins chimed in, their voices in perfect sync as always.

"No!"

Shego didn't even look at them, too busy browbeating her other brothers into her way of thinking to notice the sulky look on both their faces, but their next comment certainly got her attention.

"Fine, we'll do it our way."

Her head snapped round, just in time to see them turn and run to help the hard pressed Kim, already out of range of her hurriedly flung arm as she tried to grab them to.

"Told you sis." Hego's aside as he pushed past her didn't improve her mood, but she didn't have much choice except release Mego and try to salvage the situation.

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She was losing. Kim knew it and she knew that Toshimiru knew it, it was clear by the anticipatory look on his face as he pressed his attack. It wasn't that he was better than her, she had already evaded his attacks for over twenty minutes, but he was invulnerable to anything she could throw at him, and more to the point he never seemed to get tired.

Despite being blasted by the full force of Team Go and having half a mountain bury him alive, he seemed as fresh and focused as when she had first seen him. Whatever mystical power was giving him his lifeforce, it wasn't an advantage she shared. Her muscles burned with the effort of evading his attacks, and her chest laboured as she struggled to force oxygen into her lungs.

Toshimiru could see the end was near. This woman was an irritation, nothing more. His greater concern was the strange group of humans who accompanied her. Whatever power they wielded, it had proved effective if not in destroying him, at least it had hurt; badly. He needed to remove this distraction so that he could focus on their greater threat, and for this reason he pressed his advantage, seeking to end the fight quickly.

Finally Kim tried one move too many. Her tired body failed to react to her mind's demands by a fraction of a second, but it was enough for her to lose her footing. Reacting quickly, she let her body's momentum roll her away from her attacker but even as she positioned herself to regain her feet, she fully expected the warrior's sword to end it all.

The strike never came. Looking up, she saw Toshimiru staring stupidly at the pair of red clad boys standing in front of him.

The samurai couldn't comprehend what had happened. One minute the redheaded woman had been fighting him, only to be replaced by a grinning boy standing in his way. The killing blow destined for Kim had been struck at this new distraction only to see him cut in two.

Literally.

One boy had suddenly turned into two, his blade whistling through the gap that suddenly appeared between them, throwing him off balance, which only made their grins grow even larger. Infuriated, Toshimiru regained his footing only to feel someone leap on his back, their arms wrapping themselves around his neck, causing him to stagger slightly under the sudden shift in his centre of gravity That weight inbalance suddenly increased as four more Wego's appeared on his back, causing him to crash to his knees on the hard stone floor.

But the power of the wishing staff coursed through his veins. Even as the twins sought to engulf him in an avalanche of Wego's, Toshimiru reached up and dragged one of the clones from his back. His hand flared black as the mystic energy in his body reacted to the cosmic power of the comet, and the copy winked out of existance as the duplicating ability of the twins was negated.

It would have gone badly for the twin if Hego hadn't arrived, barrelling the still kneeling Toshimru away from his younger brother using his weight as a weapon. The two men clawed and scrabbled at each other as they rolled across the cavern floor, each seeking an advantage over the other.

A shaken Wego twin was being helped up by his brother when they found themselves engulfed by an over protective sister. Diving over the two men rolling on the floor, she swept up the two youngest Go Team members and rolled them both away to safety, silencing their protests with a furious glare.

"What the hell are you doing?" The incredulous challenge coming from the ex-thief's side caused Shego to jump. She hadn't been aware of anyone being so close due to her determination to protect her younger brothers. Looking to her left, she saw Kim giving her a quizzical look as she tried to figure out what Team Go were playing at.

"I thought the plan was for me to distract him while you all zapped him with your comet ray thing again." Kim glanced over to where Hego and Toshimiru were brawling in the dust, neither able to gain an advantage as they rolled across the floor.

"It was!" Shego snapped. "But these two had other ideas." She ignored the wounded attempts of the Wego twins to protest at her version of the events, pushing herself to her feet and dragging them up with her. She gave them a good shake just to make her point clear that she was going to brook no arguments.

"Well do you think you could get it together and sort your shit out?" Kim was hurting in too many places to care about her language right now. The understanding that she couldn't handle this situation herself left her cranky, especially when the people who could potentially save the world were too caught up in their own ego's to deal with the situation properly.

Shego bit back a snarky comeback, distracted by the sudden turn of events in Hego's battle with Toshimiru. The two men had stopped scabbling in the dirt and had each regained their feet. Hego had somehow managed to get behind the samurai and get him in a headlock, but Toshimiru was struggling to break free. His hands had grabbed hold of Hego's wrists and was actually starting to pull them away.

"Sis, I can't hold him!" Shego could hear the surprise in Hego's voice, it was an emotion she shared. In all the times since they gained their comet powers, she had never come across someone who could beat Hego in strength. The evidence before her eyes could not be denied, however. The Japanese warrior had managed to break Hego's grip and was turning to face the incredulous superhero.

"I'll distract him, you get your team together." Kim leapt forward casting a backward glance at the green woman by her side. "And this time, do it right!" Shego watched as the young redhead closed the gap between herself and the two men struggling for dominance before shaking herself out of her trance.

"Come On!" She put one hand on each of the Wego's shoulders and pulled them into some open space where she could get a clear shot. Her next concern was to locate Mego, who had been missing since the Wego's had let their exhuberance get the better of them.

He finally revealed his presence in a suitably dramatic way, suddenly enlarging himself from his vantage point right on top of Toshimiru's head. The sudden shift in weight caused the samurai to stagger once more, giving Hego a much needed diversion, but the little Purple man couldn't maintain his balance, and with a startled cry he lost his grip and fell on his older brother causing them both to tumble to the ground.

Toshimiru had had enough. He had wasted too long battling with this motley bunch and to what end? The final attack by the blue man had been the final straw, brawling in the gutter like a peasant, it was too much. Also, he recalled the agony he had felt when the multicoloured beam had hit him, and he could no longer rely on his invincibility to protect him. It was time to rejoin his puppet and marshal his forces to find a way of regaining the Magic Wishing Staff. Then no power in the universe could stop him.

Taking advantage of his adversary's misfortune, he broke off from the fight, and started to head for the same exit Gemini had used previously, only to find his way blocked once more by the infuriating female that had hindered him for so long.

Kim knew she had a problem the moment she faced up to the long dead samurai. It was obvious that his intentions had changed and that he was no longer looking to defeat his enemies. Escape was all that was on his mind now, and she couldn't see any way she could stop it.

Her assault was brushed aside with ease as her adversary refused to engage. A quick glance to her left showed that Hego and Mego were still untangling themselves, and she could only see one way in which she could buy them the time they needed to link up with Shego and the Wego twins. Steeling herself for the pain that was to come, she once more interposed her body between Toshimiru and his goal. She launched herself into yet another futile attack, but this time, she didn't leap out of the way, she gave him the opening he had been waiting for.

Toshimiru was getting more frustrated by this annoying woman who kept throwing herself at him in one futile attack after another. It was unacceptable that one of his stature should have to endure these insults, so when she finally let herself be caught by his counterattack, it was with a deep sense of satisfaction that he felt her body crack under the power of his strike.

Kim heard the crack as her ribs fractured under the force of the blow. Toshimiru's armoured fist slamming into her side. Using the last of her willpower and strength, she resisted the urge to break away, instead catching his arm with her own, pulling the two of them together in a final desperate attempt to prevent his escape.

It was a battle she had no chance of winning, the weight and power advantage were all with the samurai, and he had little difficulty in hurling her to the ground. Seeing his tormentor helpless before him pushed all other considerations from his mind. Reaching down, he grabbed the girl by her throat and grinned as she watched his other gauntletted fist raise up ready to smash into her face and finish this once and for all.

"Hey, Bozo!" The cry from behind him caught him by surprise, even as the face of the wounded girl before him twisted into a bloody smile. With a sudden feeling of dread he turned his head to see the multi-coloured Team Go standing in a V, the apex filled by the green and black clad woman who had distracted him in his moment of triumph.

Suddenly aware of the danger he was in, he released his grip on the teenager and span to face this new and much more deadly threat, but Shego wasn't going to give him another moment. Her feet planted firmly on the rocky floor, she clasped both hands together and poured every ounce of power she could muster into her blast.

Her emerald beam was quickly joined by the Blue and Purple as Hego and Mego placed their hands on their sisters shoulders The combined power of the three members of Team Go once more slammed into the armoured body of Toshimiru, the force of the blast so great that, even though she was not in physical contact with the samurai, Kim caught the edge of the powerful backlash and found herself being knocked off her feet.

But Toshimiru was made of sterner stuff, and he had survived this attack once already. The mystical force that animated his long dead body and flowed through his veins, once more reacted to this other worldly threat. The black miasma flared in defence as it sought to defend it's host, and Toshimiru, although unbalanced, managed to remain standing. His hands pushed back against the power of the comet, extending the black shield that was protecting him, and through sheer power of will he started to move. Each step was a struggle, as if trying to walk in the face of a hurricane, but Toshimiru refused to accept defeat, and inch by inch he closed the gap between them.

Shego's body was already battered by the previous events, and every muscle in her body ached as she struggled to control the power that was flowing through her. Contrary to what her brothers thought, however, it was not the level of power that was the problem, but rather the effort she had to expend in preventing the three beams from splitting apart. It manifested as a pressure in her mind, and all her efforts were directed to preventing her brain from squeezing itself out through her ears Even this level of discomfort paled into insignificance when the Wego twins added their powers to the mix.

Not quite sure what their older siblings were doing, it was pretty obvious that they had combined their powers in some way, and it just made sense to join in. One twin placed his hand on Mego's shoulder, while the other did the same to Hego, mimicing their older brothers connection to Shego. The sudden sensation of power being drained out of them caught them by surprise but they managed to retain their connection to their brothers, youthful stamina shrugging off the sudden painful feelings they were experiencing.

Shego battled to gain control of the new power source flowing through her body, but it was strange, and didn't behave like that of her other brothers. The red power appeared skittish, sliding over the three primary colours that had combined effortlessly in the main beam as usual. It was new and disconcerting, and she was at a loss as to how to incorporate it into the more usual colours she was used to dealing with.

Unable to focus completely on directing the combined comet power at her target, the beam wavered, reducing the pressure on Toshimiru and she was in danger of losing it all together. Her eyes narrowd as she battled to control their amalgamated power while Hego and Mego could only watch, helpless to do anything to help their struggling sister.

Seconds passed. Shego still fought to control the increased power of the beam but it was obvious that she was fighting a losing battle. Toshimiru leaned into the power being directed against him and step by step he pushed back the rainbow comet power as he closed the distance between them.

The Wego's could see the difficulty their sister was experiencing and could sense that it was something to do with the fact that she was now struggling to control five beams instead of three. There was no verbal communication between the two of them but, as had happened so often in the past, they shared a common thought process that verged on the metaphysical. Neurons fired in symmetry and without any conscious agreement, both twins began to multiply.

When the two red beams split into four, Shego panicked as she continued to find a way to merge this new power into the Green/Blue/Purple amalgum she was used to, but the red continued to resist integrating. The four beams suddenly became six and then eight as the twins continued to generate new copies of themselves. Each red beam becoming a thinner version of its previous self, each equidistant from the other as they wrapped themselves around the core colours.

Shego's sudden comprehension of what this new power meant, coincided with the final split on the twin's part. The Green/Purple/Blue beam continued to slam into the flaring black shield of Toshimiru, but now it was enclosed in ten thin red beams, each eminating from one of her fingers providing a framework that supported rather than inhibited her ability to control the power flowing through her body.

As soon as she stopped trying to merge the red power into the other colours, she found her control greatly increased. As a stunned observer, Kim watched entranced as the ex thief straightened her stance that had been crumbling under the pressure. Her head, previously sagging under the strain of her exertions was raised once more and the familiar snarl of defiance was back on those black stained lips she knew so well.

But Toshimiru was still battling the combined powers of the comet. His visage distorted in a scowl of rage even as he continued to push back against the immense power directed against him. The shield protecting him flared darker and darker as the power animating his long dead body struggled to deflect the more powerful beam, but it held; and the samurai continued to slowly close the gap between him and his attackers. Each step a testamony to his determination not to be beaten.

From her prone position, Kim could see the problem. The width of the comet beam was too wide, the power was spread out over too large an area, meaning that much of the effect was lost. She grunted with pain as she rolled over onto her front, thinking to maybe tackle the undead warrior from behind while he was distracted by Team Go. She didn't want to think about what would happen to her if she were caught in the crossfire, but something had to be done to stop his implacible progress.

Kim wasn't the only one to see the problem, Shego was frantically thinking about how she could tighten the beam now she had some level of control over it. This had never been a problem before. No adversary had ever before managed to resist the combined powers of the three oldest members of Team Go.

Her fingers flexed in frustration as she watched the samurai warrior close the distance between them, only to stare in amazement as the red beams reacted to her digital manipulation by moving in sympathy. Her mind raced as she struggled to assimilate the consequences of this new information, and she once more smirked as a new idea formed in her head.

With a deft twist of her wrists, she distorted the red beams into an interlacing lattice around the core blue green and purple rays that eminated from her palms. With the added control, she could now manipulate the combined beam in a way she had never been able to before. This time, when she squeezed her fingers, the red lattice followed her movements, forcing the other colours into a much smaller space.

Sweat beaded on her brow as she struggled to contain the power flowing through her body. Her arms ached under the pressure of confining the energy into the smaller space the red beams allowed, but steadily the energy conformed to the more restricted space she allowed, tightening the beam into a much more concentrated application of power.

The battle to contain the raw power coursing through her body blocked out any other consideration from her mind. Her entire world narrowed until the struggle was all that there was, all external points of reference were discarded as she focused on the task in hand.

From their vantage points at her back, Hego and Mego watched with trepidation as against all the odds, Toshimiru continued to battle against the concentrated power of the comet, but Shego had no awareness of how close he was getting. Instead she fought a constant battle to controll the raging cosmic power, all the while straining to pull the constraining red strands closer together, forcing the primary colours into an ever more intensive beam.

Toshimiru was beginning to sweat as he fought against the power eminating from the strange green woman. His vision was starting to be obscured by the flaring black shield of the power that was protecting him. Snarling in defiance he took another step forward, the source of the power attacking him now merely a few tantalizing feet away.

Another pace forward closed the distance even more, but each step was getting harder. sheer willpower drove him forward, but even as he took another step, his eyes locked with the intense green orbs of his attacker.

With a final snarl of defiance, Shego pushed past the pain barrier and flexed her fingers once more. The core beam finally relented on it's resistance to her struggling manipulations and the lattice of red beams pulled tighter still. Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at the suddenly disconcerted stare of her target as the sufficiently tightened beam finally concentrated all its power on the body of the long dead warrior.

Toshimiru's eyes widened in terror as he finally realised the predicament was in but it was too late. The black shield of power drawn from the residual power of the Wishing Staff coursing through his veins flared one final time before failing under the concentrated power of the cosmic power of the comet. His mouth opened in a silent scream, but no sound came out as his body blazed in a bright white light before exploding in a shower of black shards that flared and died in moments.

The repercussion from such a vigorous release of power was not so easy to dismiss. Shego staggered under the sudden lack of resistance, but even worse was the realisation that the backlash of her endeavours was rushing back up the beam of power even as she realised that she had finally achieved her aims. Rushing towards her, using the combined comet beams as a conduit, a wave of black power surged forward, even as she sought to disengage from her brothers.

The Wego twins were the first to disconnect. Not solely because her first thought was to protect them, although it did figure large in her considerations, but also because the red beams were still confining the core colours in an unbreakable lattice that needed to be broken.

She had no time to do more, the backlash was too fast for her to complete the disconnection from Mego which was her next thought, although she did enough to lessen the blow. Instead she caught the blast full on, with Hego similarly exposed.

The two most powerful members of Team Go caught the full power of the psychic burst, with Mego catching the edges, and all three reeled under the impact. Mego suffered the most. Less resiliant than the others, he dropped to the floor as if poleaxed. Shego, having caught the full brunt of the explosion, fell to her knees, head spinning under the concussive power of the burst. Even Hego dropped to one knee, his innate strength barely enough to protect him from the effects.

Watching from a safe distance, Kim pushed herself to her feet, wincing under the pain in her side and knee. Before she had a chance to move, however, a large CRACK echoed throughout the chamber. Unseen in the darkness, the caverous roof of the cave split violently under the release of such psychic power, but Kim didn't need to see what was happening to understand the danger they were suddenly in.

Even as she began to move, small flakes of rock began to fall, followed seconds later by lumps of rock the size of her fist. A rumble echoed through the floor, but she paid no attention to the danger she was in. Ignoring the stabbing pain in her knee, she launched herself at the still reeling figure of Shego, her sixth sense screaming in her mind that the stunned thief was in serious danger.

Still slightly concussed, Shego had just managed to regain her feet, her vision still blurred under the impact of the backlash, when she was hit by the flying figure of Kim. Totally unprepared for the collision, the older woman was knocked away from where she had been standing, just as the roof above her gave way; dropping several tons of rubble right on the spot where she had been standing.

Cursing at the pain in her side as she rolled away, she finally shook off the debilitating effects of Toshimiru's destruction, only to realise how close she had been to being crushed under the rockfall. It was closely followed by the realisation that not everyone had been so lucky.

The sound of stones falling away from a particularly large pile of rubble, revealed Hego shaking himself free from the rocks that had partially buried him, and also the still prone purple body of Mego who had been protected by the quick reactions of his older brother. Neither of them featured high in Shego's concerns. Her brothers over the years had exhibited the survival instincts of cockroaches and she had long given up worrying about their safety. The Wego twins were an exception, but they had managed to evade the collapse entirely and were reassuringly uneffected.

Instead, her concerns were directed to the slight form on the edge of the rubble pile. Red hair spilled out in a pool around her head, Kim lay still, surrounded by rocks of varying sizes where she had almost, but not quite, escaped the rockfall.

"Oh No! Not again."

Shego flung herself down by the unconscious girl's side and quickly checked for a pulse. Breathing a sigh of relief as she felt the blood pumping through Kim's veins, her attention was rapidly brought back to their predicament as another rumble echoed through the cavern. With a fearful look to the roof, she quickly scooped the redhead in her arms and looked over to see what her brothers were doing.

With a quick nod, she signalled the Wego's to lead the way, following close behind. Hego brought up the rear, with the still insensible Mego slung over his shoulder. As they ran across the cavern floor, small rocks began to fall from the ceiling, steadily getting larger as the cave became more and more unstable.

By the time they reached the passageway by which they had entered, the rocks falling were the size of their heads, and the rumbling noise was getting louder. Unencumbered, the Wego twins were a few seconds ahead of their older siblings, disappearing from sight for a few seconds while Hego and Shego negotiated the small tunnel linking Toshimiru's lair with the larger outer cavern occupied by the massed ranks of the Yamanouchi school.

By the time the two senior members of Team Go emerged, the Wego's had already assessed the situation in the main cave and taken immediate action. Multiple copies of the red clad young men were helping the wounded ninja's to their feet and assisting them in stumbling their way towards the exit that led to the surface and safety. Seeing the least experienced members of the team acting in such a responsible and proactive manner brought a lump of pride to Hego's throat, even as he took the rearguard position ensuring that no-one was left behind.

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When Kim left, Ron found himself alone in the middle of a mass melee with no idea of what he was going to do. Now that the Mystical Monkey Power had totally deserted him, he initially felt helpless to prevent the chaos that had engulfed the Yamanouchi school, but his promise to Yori nagged at his mind, and despite his lack of power and skill, he had to do something.

The wound in his leg was bothering him now that the power had been sustaining him was lost, so any thought of attempting the direct approach he had used previously was out of the window. Instead he utilised the one ability he did have, one that had stood him in good stead both on the football field and in the various supervillain lairs he had been trapped in over the years.

His evasion skills were innate, not gifted by some mystical source, and he used them as well as he could. Acting as a distraction, he allowed his two bodyguards to make the takedown, and so the three of them continued to try to separate the various fighting factions, although their progress was now painfully slow.

When Team Go first turned up, he thought that his problem was solved. If anyone could knock some sense into the warring students it was Hego, but he had other ideas. Barely acknowledging Ron's presence, he pushed his way through the throng and disappeared towards the back of the cave just as Yori and Kim had done earlier. True, the twins did stay to help but he wasn't sure how useful they would be.

He soon found out. Even the most skilled ninja found it hard to fight when buried under an avalanche of Wegos, and with impressive speed they spread throughout the cavern, breaking up fights and separating the antagonists until there were only small pockets of resistance left. However, just when Ron was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief that the madness had ended, the multitude of Wegos vanished into thin air, leaving him once more alone with the task of sorting out the Yamanouchi situation.

No longer engaged in combat, and with the low level mental manipulations of Toshimiru no longer controlling their thoughts, the Yamanouchi School seemed confused and aimless. While Ron was glad they were no longer trying to kill each other, trying to get them to listen, or even notice his presence was proving a fruitless task. He was still trying to get them to leave when the first rumble echoed through the cave, but it went unnoticed as he raged in frustration at his inability to get anyone to do what he wanted.

The second rumble was much louder, and couldn't be ignored. On the other hand, it did finally achieve what Ron and his supporters had been struggling to do. To a man, the Yamanouchi ninja's appeared to shake off their listlessness and cast worried looks at the ceiling. Flakes of rock began to fall, swiftly followed by larger pieces that could be heard hitting the floor throughout the cave. The threat of millions of tons of rock falling on their heads finally swept away the last vestiges of confusion with which Toshimiru had befuddled them . One fragment of rock, larger than the others fell to the floor with a resounding crash, sending flakes of stone scything through the air. It triggered a mass panic as the entire school turned and ran for the exit, leaving Ron standing alone except for the constant presence of Mokoto and Hirotake.

He too would have preferred to run with the rest, but he was all too aware of those left behind. The injured and unconscious, some of them incapacitated by his earlier actions were in no fit state to make their escape unaided. Knowing that time was short, he moved to save as many as he could, fully aware that he couldn't rescue them all.

The return of the Wego's changed all that. One minute Ron was struggling to carry a groggy ninja across the cavern floor, his own leg protesting under the strain, when the weight was lifted from his shoulders and he found himself swept along in the tide of red suited swarm. Relieved of his burden, he fought against the current to locate his two faithful bodyguards, but they had been separated and he could see no sign.

He did see the taller figure of Hego, however; and as he struggled to make his way towards him, could see that the green and black figure of Shego next to her older brother. As he fought to break through to them, he could see they were both carrying someone, and as he got nearer, a chill gripped his heart as he could see the spill of red hair clutched tight to Shego's shoulder as they swept past him, not seeing him in their rush to escape before the roof collapsed.

The thunder of falling masonry grew louder as large rocks continued to fall from the roof of the inner cave, drowning out Ron's call as the last members of Team Go raced for the exit.

"Where's Yori?" The words were lost in the rumble, leaving Ron racked with indecision as his head turned first towards the exit and then to the doorway through which they had just come. Fear swept through his body as he realised he was being left behind, but there was only one direction in which he could think of going. Swallowing down his terror, he turned his back on the rapidly disappearing crowd and dashed through the doorway into Toshimiru's inner sanctum.

As he emerged into the inner cavern, he could barely see through the rockdust that filled the air. Huge rocks had already fallen, and lay scattered across the stone floor like drunken stalagmites, limiting his view even further.

As Ron staggered away from the passageway through which he had entered, he coughed as he choked on the dust that irritated his eyes and throat with every breath.

"This is hopeless." The thought passed through his mind even as he pushed on further into the centre of cave.

"YORI!" His cry seemed feeble in the darkness, and to make matters worse, an ominous crash of falling rubble made him jump as he finally realised how unstable the whole cavern complex had become. If he didn't find her soon, he risked being buried alive.

"YORI! Where Are You?"

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Deep in the dark, Yori moaned as she finally came round from the crushing impact of her body slamming into the cavern wall. Convincingly faking her own demise had been the hardest thing she had ever done. To suppress her body's primal urge to struggle for breath, and to go limp as she had done, was a testament to the discipline of mind bestowed upon her by her training and, fortunately for her, it had worked. What she hadn't anticipated was Toshimiru's petulant action in hurling her away, nor being knocked out by the impact of her head striking the cavern wall. Unconscious; she was totally unaware of the battle that had been fought around her.

Battered and bruised, her body had given up fighting until Ron's calls brought her back from the brink. Only now she was regaining her senses did she know the danger she was in and that she had to move. When she tried, however, she found herself trapped; her legs were pinned down and her ribs hurt too much to even try and sit up. Fear for her compatriots drove her to try again, but her body had reached the limits of its ability to respond. With a groan, she sank back and struggled to catch her breath.

The nearby cry jerked her back out of the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her. Her throat protested as she tried to swallow, the muscles in her neck badly bruised by the pressure Toshimiru's grip had exerted, and she found herself unable to speak. His voice echoed around the cave once more, he appeared to be moving away from her position, and it was this realisation added a sense of urgency to her befuddled mind.

For her own sake, she had resigned herself to her fate, and felt no regret if her journey on the wheel of life was to come to an end, but the Monkey Master was different. Her oath still bound her, and while he lived, she would serve. Besides, she knew Ron would continue to search for her regardless to the danger he was putting himself in. The only way to get him to safety was to do it herself.

With her throat still to bruised to cry out, she needed some other way of attracting his attention. Crushed fingers scrabbled clumsily at her belt, seeking something, anything, that could alert him to her location. As her hand closed over a ceramic flask, she closed her eyes in relief. With a whispered prayer to the Buddha, she sought out its companion, desperately hoping that it too had survived her fall.

Usually the liquids contained in these jars were carefully decanted into a special clay ball with two compartments when they were required. Individually inert, they combined to create a highly volatile chemical that reacted with the air to produce a blinding flash of light and a lot of smoke.

Designed as a tool to disorientate opponents and cover a ninja's escape, Yori figured it was the only chance she had to attract Ron's attention. As she held both jars on one hand, she closed her eyes and slammed them down onto the stone floor beside her.

Burning agony flared in her hand even as she jerked it away; the two compounds combining to produce their customary effects, with heat as the inevitable side effect. Wincing with the pain, Yori flinched away from the flare, while hoping in her heart that Ron would see her signal.

She needn't have worried.

The dust filled atmosphere of the cavern blocked some of the light, but quartz particles in the air scattered the effects over a wider area, resulting in a dimmer but much wider flare than would have been normal. In the subdued light of the cave, however, even a dim light would stand out, and Ron instantly had his attention drawn to the flash of radiance that filled half the cavern.

"Yori?" Ron stumbled towards the light, cursing as his night vision was destroyed by the flare; blinking away the patches left on his retina. In the end, he tripped over her in the darkness, his own curse almost drowning out the groan of the girl he had nearly stepped on.

"Yori! You OK?" Ron ran his hands over the prone ninja, suddenly jerking them away as he found himself touching flesh that was soft and curved, his face flushing unseen in the darkness. Yori on the other hand didn't register his touch on her breast, the pain in her head, side and legs being a much more immediate concern.

"Unngh." Her groan told him that at least she was still alive.

There was very little that Kim or Ron would trust him with in the way of special equipment, but even they allowed that a simple battery driven flashlight was harmless even in his hands, and he suddenly remembered it now. The pencil torch had a small beam, but it was enough to illuminate the pale, dust covered features of the girl he had been searching for. Her eyelids fluttered under the sudden bright light, and his face lit up in a grin as he was finally rewarded by the sight of her brown eyes opening and reacting to his presence.

"Yori!" He breathed his relief now that he was no longer alone.

"Ron?" Her voice croaked under the effort of speaking, she really was in a bad way.

"It's OK, I'm here." For the first time in a long while, he felt protective and useful. For so long, he had felt like a liability, always relying on someone else, either Kim or Yori, to look after him. Now, finding himself in a position of responsibility, it was a liberating experience that almost helped him forget the fact that he had lost his Monkey Power. Even without his powers, Yori needed his help and he was in a position to provide it.

The rockfall that had trapped the young ninja's legs was minimal compared to some of the rubble that had fallen elsewhere in the cave. None of the rocks that were pinning her down were excessively large, and he worked steadily to release her by pushing them away, each crash as the boulders rolled away causing him to cringe with the possibility that he could be hurting her further.

"Ron San!" Yori's voice cracked as she struggled to speak despite the bruised throat muscles. "Get out of here, it's not safe."

"Uh Huh!" Ron continued to work at freeing her legs, not really listening to her feeble protests. With a final burst of effort, he finally managed to shift the largest rock that was pinning her down. The rest of the rubble was easily disposed of, allowing Ron to slip his hands under the young girl's arms and pull her away from where she had been trapped.

Yori tried to stand, but as soon as she put her weight on her left leg, it buckled due to a deep gash in her thigh that had gone unnoticed up to now. Ron quickly caught her before she could fall, pulling one arm over his shoulders and supporting her while she struggled to regain her balance.

"Ron! What are you doing here?" The pain in her leg making her tone was harsher than she intended. "Toshimiru..."

"Isn't here." The young man finished her sentance, cutting off her protests before she could get into her stride. "Look Yori, the last thing I know is Team Go high-tailing out of here as fast as they could, and I figure we should be doing the same."

The rumble in the darkness of yet more stone falling, somewhere in the distance accentuated his point. Finally accepting that he wouldn't leave without her, Yori bowed to the inevitable and let him lead her back towards the exit.

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Safe!

As awareness slowly returned, that was the first conscious thought that formed in her mind. She was safe.

Sensation was next. A warm, comforting feeling as if wrapped in a soft blanket; slowly evolved into a recognition of strong arms holding her, protecting her from the harsh outside world, her cheek resting on a soft pillow. She didn't want to wake up, but the insistant voice wouldn't let her rest.

"Kimmie! Kimmie! You with me?"

Shego breathed a sigh of relief as the young cheerleader groaned and shifted slightly in her arms. For a moment she had feared it was a corpse she was carrying, the young teen had been so still.

"Shego?" Kim's voice, however croaky, was music to the older woman's ears. Ahead of them, the Yamanouchi ninjas and the Wego twins had disappeared around a bend in the passage, while Shego had stopped to adjust her grip on the redhead.

"Shego, give her to me, it'll be quicker." The deep rumbling voice of Hego coincided with Kim finally regaining full consciousness. Her eyes flickered open to see the oldest member of Team Go reaching out with one arm; the other held his younger brother; the little purple man slung over his shoulder in a very ungainly fashion.

The same thought passed through both women's minds. No way was Kim Possible being carried out like a sack of potatoes. Kim felt Shego pull her closer to her warm body, even as the teen wrapped her arms tighter around the green woman's neck.

Not bothering to answer her brother, Shego hitched up her burden and headed off up the passage, leaving Hego to shake his head at his sister's stubborness. Once more taking rear guard, he too headed up the passageway, hoping they would make it before the whole mountain collapsed around them.

When they finally emerged into the open air, they found themselves alone, the ninjas had already vanished. Hurrying down the faint pathway, they found themselves in the centre of the Yamanouchi school, coming to a halt in the central courtyard. Several of the wooden buildings had already fallen, the tremors of the collapsing cavern too strong for the flimsy structures. With an unspoken agreement, the two senior members of Team Go headed for the hidden entrance to the caldera with the Wego's following behind; only halting once they had once more regained the dubious safety of the mountainside.

It wasn't the stars blinking in the clear night sky, nor the wind blowing on their faces that gave them pause for thought however. No, it was the sight of rank after rank of Global Justice, armed and armoured blocking any avenue of escape that really caught their attention, and brought their headlong flight to an abrupt end.

Both Hego and Shego scanned the forces arranged before them, while Kim, seeing one figure step out from the massed ranks, wriggled frantically until she was finally released from the embracing arms of the woman that was carrying her. Dropping to the ground, Kim hissed in pain as her knee failed to support her weight. Only Shego's arm on her elbow prevented an embarrasing tumble. The gesture did not go unnoticed.

"D.. Dr Director?" Kim stammered, embarrassed at predicament she found herself in.

The Global Justice leader stared impassionately at the young girl she had been grooming for so many years to become her successor. Her steady gaze causing the cheerleader to squirm with embarrassment, until a steadying hand in the small of Kim's back gave her the confidence to stand tall and return the implacable stare with some measure of impunity.

"What are you doing here?"

Dr Director's face remained impassive, but inwardly she suppressed a smile as she saw Kim recover from her initial discomforture and attempt to brazen out the situation she found herself in. It was a technique she had used herself several times in her past. When caught by her superiors in a compromising position, it was always better to brazen it out and dare them to make an issue of it. It would stand the young woman in good stead in the future.

Nevertheless, Kim's position in this situation was secondary in importance. More pressing was the conclusion of Global Justice's prime directive in the apprehension of the world's most wanted criminals.

"We've been monitoring you for some time." The Global Justice leader's voice was light hearted, although her steady one-eyed gaze remained fixed on the young cheerleader. "When a long standing member of the criminal community begins taking an active interest in one of our agents, we take notice."

Kim gave Shego a quick look before turning back to face Dr Director. She opened her mouth to point out that she wasn't actually a Global Justice agent yet; but any explanation was forestalled when two GJ agents pushed through the crowd, flanking a furious Gemini.

Dr Director couldn't resist giving her brother a scornful look, even as he continued to struggle against the bonds that constrained him. Ever since Sheldon had set up his Worldwide Evil Empire in response to his younger sister being promoted to the head of Global Justice, he had been a thorn in her side. Devious and cunning, he had evaded capture for years until his interest in Kim had given her this chance to set a trap and it had worked perfectly.

"Gemini?" Kim was confused. She had assumed it was Shego they were after.

"You used her as bait!"

The contempt in Shego's voice didn't bother Dr Director one bit. It just reminded her that finally capturing Gemini was not the only good thing to come out of Kim's breakdown. Finding more than one bird in the net was just the icing on the cake.

"Let's just say we monitored the situation carefully before stepping in before anyone got really hurt." Dr Director's smile didn't touch her eyes as she gazed hungrily at the green clad woman. True, it hadn't been pleasant watching Kim's emotional implosion, but the payback was worth it.

Of all the lawbreaking community Global Justice had to contend with, Shego had always proved to be the most troublesome. Initial successes, largely due to the actions of the redhead, who was still struggling to maintain her dignity, had been neutralised by the undoubted capabilities of the ex superhero; jailbreaks occurring on an embarrassingly frequent basis. Even when her unique condition had been catered for and her prison made plasma proof, she had either managed to escape anyway or, on one memorable occation, Motor Ed had smashed his way into the complex and spirited her away, confirming the regard the entire evil communty had for the plasma wielding thief.

Set up initially as a UN version of interpol, Global Justice's ultimate legitimacy rested on it's ability to counter the more extreme end of the supervillain community; and no one embodied that more than Shego. The knowledge that Gemini was restrained and neutralised by her own forces almost paled into insignificance at the prospect of caging the master thief once more.

Shego watched as Betty Director's attention switched away from the redhead, and focussed on her own person. It was not unexpected. Sighing in resignation, she was too tired to fight any more, the rest would do her good, and it wasn't as if she hadn't experienced Global Justice hospitality before. Resigned to her fate, she removed her hand from Kim's back and waited for the inevitable gloating to begin.

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Staring at the jumble of boulders blocking the exit at least gave Ron an excuse for not meeting Yori's gaze, the despair was just too great. Feet away was the tunnel that led to the outer cavern where he had first met Toshimiru and freedom. The thought that they could dig themselves out didn't even cross his mind. Some of those rocks must have weighted tons. Yori's small hand on his arm finally pulled him away and he let her lead him back into the main cave.

They finally settled against what looked like a stable wall, while loud cracks continued to echo around them, punctuated occasionally by a loud crash as yet another rock fell from the ceiling. Yori watched anxiously as she watched the young man with her sink further into despondency. Not knowing what to say, she rested her arm over his shoulder giving what comfort she could.

Misery welled up in Ron's heart. Once again he had failed everyone. Who was he kidding, he was no hero. Now he had failed for the last time, and let Yori down. They were going to die here, and it was is fault for being so useless. Hego wouldn't have been stopped by that rockfall, he would have just pushed them out of the way, while Shego would have just blasted her way out. They were true heros; unlike him.

"Damn! I'm useless."

Ron's sudden outburst made Yori jump as he thumped his fist on his leg.

Sighing, he turned and looked at her, the melancholy in his eyes sending a chill through her heart, he had given up.

"I'm sorry Yori." His voice caught in his throat as he suppressed a sob of despair. "You deserve better." Sighing once more, he slumped back against the wall. "You deserve a proper hero."

"You are a hero." Yori laid a hand on his knee, her soft voice barely registering a flicker of acknowledgement from the despondant young man. "You're my hero." It sounded cheesy to her ears, but she didn't know what else to say.

Ron's snort expressed his opinion of that sentiment, the self loathing he was feeling wasn't so easily dismissed.

"Kim wouldn't be stymied by a simple rockfall." Ron shook off Yori's comforting hand, he wasn't looking for sympathy. "She would be out of here in an instant."

Pushing himself up from the ground he stepped away from the dubious shelter of the rock wall. the way he was feeling, death by falling rocks would be a release.

"Hego or Shego wouldn't have a problem either." The thought passed through his mind. The knowledge that the two bona fide superheroes were actually in the local area but unable to help them depressed him even more. "Hell! They would just smash another way out if they had to."

"What did you say?" Yori's question jerked Ron out of his funk as he realised he must have spoken that last thought out loud.

"I was just thinking what Team Go would do in our situation." He didn't look at her, just stared at the ground, so missed the sudden change in his companion's demeanour, but a sudden surge of excitement propelled her to her feet, dragging his attention in her direction.

Somewhat wild eyed, he stared at the ecstatic young ninja in bewilderment, while Yori tried to get her elation under control.

"There's another way out."

"Huh?" Ron's brain was having trouble catching up.

"Toshimiru spoke of another way out." Yori said. The urge to giggle was suppressed with some difficulty, and she had to settle for tugging on the young man's hand until he had no option but to follow.

"Gemini must have used it, so maybe we can too."

As understanding slowly dawned, new hope flared and he eagerly followed the young girl as she headed towards the rear of the cave.

It didn't take long to catch up, as she had to concentrate on dodging various lumps of falling rock as the ceiling of the cavern became ever more unstable. As she sensed his presence by her side, she turned to face him, the thought on her mind too important to be left unsaid.

"It wasn't Kim or Team Go who came looking for me, it was you." She took his hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. "It is something I will never forget."

Her touch sent a jolt through Ron's entire body, and the feeling of her soft fingers interlocking with his own triggered any number of inappropriate thoughts in his mind, but the moment couldn't last. Rocks were still falling, and one particularly large boulder falling only a few feet away elicited a yelp of surprise from the two of them and they broke contact as they raced to reach the safety of the the rear wall of the cavern.

"How will we find it?" Ron's question petered out as Yori had already located what they were looking for.

Even here there had been falls, and the old wooden door was partially blocked, but it opened under the combined pressure of the two of them, suddenly bursting open sending them sprawling into the passageway beyond.

As they picked themselves up, Ron's torch illuminated a rough hewn corridor cut through the rock. Fully aware that they were still underground, they hurried along the passage, Ron partially supporting the battered young ninja now that her earlier adrenaline burst was beginning to burn itself out.

For what seemed like an eternity, the two of them hobbled along, Yori's arm thrown over Ron's shoulders as he took more and more of her weight as time went on, until both of them were struggling to keep going. Only the threat of being buried alive prevented them from stopping for a rest, and they just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

When the end came, it took them both by surprise. They turned a corner and there in front of them was another door. Age had warped it away from the frame and shining through the gaps could be seen sunlight.

Eager to be free from the enclosing walls around them, they were surprised to find that the door opened easily despite it's decrepid state. Blinking in the sun, it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the increased levels of light, to find themselves high on a slope overlooking a deep valley. What drew their attention however, was the confrontation playing out below them.

The brightly coloured uniforms of Team Go were easily identified, and Kim's red hair made her easy to identify. What Ron couldn't understand was why they were facing off against what were obviously GJ agents. Concerned, he took the time to have a quick whispered conflab with Yori, and then the two of them carefully picked their way down the mountain.

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"Good to see you Shego." Dr Director's friendly tone didn't fool the thief for one minute. "Especially in such . . . foreign circumstances." She waved her hand vaguely in the air, drawing attention to the exotic vegetation and location they found themselves in. That pardon by the US president had really grated on Dr Director's nerves, but there had been no such gesture by the government of Japan. First Gemini, now Shego? This was going to be the most successful day in Global Justice history.

Shego shrugged. She could already see where this was going. To be honest, she was too tired to fight the inevitable. Every joint ached and her muscles burned with the effort of carrying Kim out of the cavern. To top it all, her head was starting to pulsate again. What was it with all the headaches?

Kim wasn't quite so blasé however. It had taken her a couple of seconds to realise what was going on, but when she did, she was outraged.

"What? You can't" She switched her gaze back and forth between the two older women, furious with Dr Director, and bewildered by Shego's lack of concern.

The head of Global Justice didn't speak, just gave Kim one of her enigmatic looks while Shego just sighed.

"She can and she will Princess." Her voice sounded weary to the still enraged teen.

"And you're just going to give up?" Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Shego turned to face her, a slight smirk taking some of the wind out of the fired up teenager's sails.

"Occupational Hazard Kimmie." She waved an arm in the general direction of the massed ranks of Global Justice agents.

"I don't feel up to taking on the entire Global Justice organisation right now." She winced as her shoulder twinged. "Do you?"

The question hung in the air, while the two women looked at each other. It was Kim who looked away first.

"But you saved the world." Her voice had taken on a wheedling tone and she cringed internally. She was sounding like a whiny teenager. "Again!"

"Karma's a bitch Kimmie." Shego gave her a little smile. She knew Kim would see sense. It wasn't as if she wanted to be arrested but there was some appeal in a nice restful stint in jail.

What she hadn't counted on was her dumb ox of a brother.

"This is official Team Go business Doctor."

A couple of agents had already begun to move to take the green clad thief into custody, but the sudden looming presence of Hego brought them to an abrupt halt.

"Hego! Don't be an ass." Shego's interjection was ignored as the big man interposed himself between the forces of law and order and his sister.

"You're a long way from Go City." Dr Director didn't back down even with the blue superhero towering over her petite frame.

"Righteous men recognise no boundaries when pursuing the forces of Darkness."

Even Dr Director blinked as she tried to assimilate this pompous pronunciation. A still groggy Mego, barely standing on his own two feet rolled his eyes in disgust, while Kim did a double take, not quite believing that someone could actually speak like that.

"Hego! Shut the fuck up!"

The blue man turned to face is contemptuous sister, his face earnest in his determination to do what he thought was right.

"I let you down once Sis. I'm not going to do it again."

Shego huffed as she realised he was going to be stubborn about this. It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate the gesture. Under other circumstances she would even have rejoiced that her stuck up elder brother had finally learned to recognise that the world wasn't black and white but laced with shades of grey. It was just that he had naturally chosen to have his epiphany at the most inappropriate time possible. But Hego wasn't alone. Mego moved to stand beside his sibling, and even the Wego's stepped up, flanking their sister and glaring at the GJ officers, daring them to make a move.

Kim hesitated. Her head told her to stay out of it, she didn't want to fight the organisation she might be thinking of joining one day, but her heart pulled her in a different direction altogether, and it was all she could do from lining up with Team Go, ready to fight against all she had previously believed in.

The tension mounted as the two groups faced off against one another, only Shego and Dr Director seemed unbothered. Things were looking bad, with Kim caught in the middle, uncertain which way to turn, until fate once more intervened from the most unlikely source.

"KP! You're OK!"

Ron's cry across the valley caught everyone by surprise, and more than one head turned to see what the source of the interruption was.

"Ron?" Even the sight of Yori's arm around his shoulder didn't lessen the relief Kim felt at seeing her oldest friend was OK, although a nagging guilty voice in her head did register the fact that she hadn't given him a thought about his safety until now.

The young man hurried as fast as he could given the fact that he was supporting an injured ninja across rough terrain, but even from this distance he could see that the situation didn't look good, and when trouble was brewing there was only one place that he should be; by Kim's side.

"Hey Kim, What's up?" Ron was breathless by the time he reached the redhead.

Yori slipped her arm from his shoulder's as they approached, not sure where she stood with the volatile cheerleader, and not wanting to antagonise the situation any further.

"They want to arrest Shego." There were tears in Kim's voice as she struggled to reconcile her feelings.

Ron blinked. I mean come on, It was Shego.

"Er Kim? She is a . . . You Know, criminal?"

"But she saved us!" Kim wailed. Why couldn't he understand? "She destroyed Toshimiru."

"Toshimiru is destroyed?" Yori's harsh interjection caught both of them by surprise. In her distraught state, Kim had almost forgotten the young ninja, but she had her attention now.

"Yeah! Shego blasted him." Kim didn't have time to deal with Yori right now, she was too focused on getting Ron to understand the dilemma she was in.

While Kim and Ron were talking, the situation between Team Go and Global Justice had progressed. The GJ agents had closed ranks and locked riot shields, preparing to face the uneviable task of having to fight against the premier superhero team in the world. As they used their superior numbers to outflank the brightly coloured Team Go, the Wego's responded by creating multiple clones, preventing the officers from completely encircling them. Things looked grim, and it would only take one sudden movement for the entire valley to explode in an orgy of violence.

Yori's mind raced. If Toshimiru was really destroyed then Yamanouchi was safe. The honour of the school was intact, and it appeared that it was all due to the actions of this Shego and her brothers.

"If Shego defeated Toshimiru then she has done a great service for Yamanouchi."

Only Kim and Ron were really listening, everyone else was too busy concentrating of the inevitable conflict, but Yori wasn't talking to them.

"Don't you agree Master Enoeda." Her raised voice carried like a clarion call, echoing across the valley with such intensity that even the massed ranks of Global Justice paused in their inexorable advance.

"Indeed child."

The sudden appearance of a wizened but lithe old japanese man where previously there had been empty space gave even Dr Director pause for thought. Dressed in the robes of a Yamanouchi instructor, he inclined his head in a miniscule bow towards the student as he gave tribute to her insight.

Global Justice made it their business to know everything there was to know about everyone, and even the secretive Yamanouchi Ninja School was known to them. True that knowledge consisted mainly of rumour and legend, but there were too many contemporary accounts to dismiss the stories entirely.

A sixth sense warned Dr Director that the situation had changed. Affecting a casual manner, she moved her head slightly, just enough to allow her peripheral vision to check her agents were still in position, but something in her mind was screaming DANGER!

Unable to identify any specific threat, but trusting her instincts that it was very real, Dr Director was not ready to give up yet. She turned and faced the old man who had appeared so suddenly. Bowing slightly as a sign of respect, she sought to appeal to his sense of duty.

"Greetings Elder." Her tone was conciliatory. She had spent years dealing with the fragile sensativities of diplomats from all the nations of the world, and knew when to push and when to stroke egos.

"We are Global Justice. Mandated by the United Nations to hunt down criminals across the world, especially those too specialised to be handled by local authorities." She gestured to the smirking thief who was enjoying watching the GJ leader struggle to regain her poise.

"This woman is wanted in twenty countries . . ."

"Twenty Two!" Shego's interjection brought a glare from Dr Director and a hissed "Shego! You're not helping" admonition from Kim, but the thief didn't care. If she was going down, she may as well do it in style.

"Twenty Two countries" Dr Director continued, returning her gaze to the impassive Master Enoeda. "I hope I can count on your cooperation as we carry out our mandated duties." It came across as a little pompous, but Dr Director knew her cultures, and if there was one thing the Japanese appreciated, it was following proper procedures.

"Master Please!" Yori's interjection was brought to an abrupt halt as the old man raised his palm. The young ninja fell silent instantly as years of training kicked in, but her eyes still pleaded for him to do what was right.

"It is out of our hands child." He was speaking to Yori, but his eyes never left the two women, one clad in green, the other in a grey utility suit. "International treaties are important and must be observed."

Shego shrugged, as if she hadn't expected anything else, while Dr Director exuded an aura of satisfaction that this latest complication wasn't going to interfere with the apprehension of her quarry.

"Indeed Elder." Dr Director gave another bow. "We are all bound by the directives of international law." She was about to instruct her agents to continue with the arrest, but before they could take one step, a pointed cough from the elder gave her pause.

"Of course," the Yamanouchi master fixed the GJ leader with a resolute stare. "Your juristiction only extends as far as the UN Mandate."

"Err, Elder." Dr Director was confused but not yet ready to back down. "Japan joined the United Nations in 1956 and is fully committed to the ideals of Global Justice."

Master Enoeda smiled, but Dr Director didn't relax. There was an unknown agenda here, and until she found out what it was, she was at a major disadvantage.

"Indeed they did." The Yamanouchi master beamed. "I remember it was a most auspicious occasion."

"You were there?" Kim blushed as she realised she had spoken, but the master just winked at her.

"I was." He smiled as he relived the memory. "Before your time of course." He returned his attention back to the Global Justice leader who was now glowering at him. "Yours too of course."

The GJ leader's frustration didn't appear to faze him one bit. "Sensei Nakiyama sent me as the Yamanouchi representative to witness Japan's rehabilitation." He explained.

"Then you agree that you are bound by the United Nations treaty." The one eyed woman was rapidly losing patience.

"Not so." The old man's voice switched tone and it sounded as if he were reciting a history lesson to a particularly difficult class of students.

"In 1292 of your calendar, Emperor Fushimi granted Yamanouchi independence from all allegiences and duties except one." Master Enoeda didn't state what that one duty was, but Ron, Kim and Yori all knew he was referring to the Lotus Blade.

"We are not bound by treaties signed by Japan, not even those signed by the divine emperor himself." He bowed deeply, sweeping his arms wide in a apologetic gesture.

Dr Director continued to glower, even as one figure detached themselves from the ranks of GJ agents and hurried towards her. Will Du was tapping on his iPad and whispering into Dr Director's ear who finally stopped trying to stare down Master Enoeda and finally turned to face her chief lieutenant.

A few more jabbed gestures by the chinese man, and Dr Director snatched the handheld computer from his hand to better see what he was trying to show her. Kim wasn't sure what was going on, but from Dr Director's demeanour, she was getting some bad news.

"It is good that you agree to be bound by international treaty. I would hate to think that we would have to take measures to enforce our neutrality in this matter." Master Enoeda's voice was apologetic in tone, but everyone listening had no doubt he was enjoying every minute of this moment. Certainly Dr Director's glower, and Shego's sarcastic smirk expressed their two very different outlooks on the situation.

Dr Director continued to stare at the screen, willing for the information to be wrong, but the text steadfastly refused to change. Legally she didn't have a leg to stand on, but the thought of letting the master thief get away when she had her bang to rights was just too galling for words. For a moment she considered pushing the issue, but by her own acknowledgement she was bound by the very laws she was mandated to uphold and it left her with no other option but to back down.

"We are sorry to have intruded Elder." Dr Director was classy even in defeat, managing just barely to keep the anger she was feeling out of her voice. Bowing low to the old man, a gesture of respect that was returned by the old man, she looked at Shego and gave a forced smile.

"See you around Shego." She turned and started walking down the mountain, followed moments later by her bewildered troops.

"Look forward to it." The thief called after her, not quite believing that she was still free, but unwilling to let anyone else have the last word.

Master Enoeda bowed once more and made a small gesture. Appearing out of nowhere, a small squad of Yamanouchi ninjas followed the retreating GJ agents down the mountain, ensuring that they left Yamanouchi territory without any further incident. Master Enoeda watched for a while, then with another slight inclination of his head towards the confused Kim and Ron, he turned and headed back up the mountain, until only Team Go, Kim, Ron and Yori were left.

Silence reined for several moments as everyone struggled to assimilate what had actually happened, but it wasn't to last. Still dazed by the sudden turn of events, Shego suddenly found herself engulfed by her family, swamped by ecstatic brothers keen to celebrate her liberty.

"Ow gerroff! I said get OFF!" The familiar thump of igniting plasma as she tried to fend off her over enthusiastic siblings led to an indulgent shared smile of amusement between Kim and Ron. The sudden lifting of tension from both of them was like a burden lifted from their shoulders and the came together in a spontaneous embrace.

"Hey You." Kim's whispered greeting in Ron's ear removed all his worries about their relationship from his mind. Whatever had happened over the past 14 years or so, their friendship was the one unchanging factor in both their lives and that was something that would never change.

Several moments passed as they drew strength from each other as they had always done in the past, before they drew back in mutual agreement, still encircling each other in their arms but allowing a comfortable space to grow between them. Kim couldn't help but smile at the sloppy grin on her best friend's face, and on impulse, leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on the end of his nose.

"You OK?" The question was asked on several levels, both the current situation, and the implied change in their own association back to the more casual friendship they were used to rather than the more intimate relationship that had shared for the past few months.

"Yeah! You?" It wasn't like how the young man had imagined. Even only a few months ago, the thought of splitting up with his girlfriend would have sent him into a fluster, but the easy familiarity between them felt so right. It was as if a burden had been lifted from their shoulders. The assumption of friends and family that they were the perfect couple and that they should be together no longer bound them to the expectation of others. They were who they were, and their relationship went deeper than any superficial romantic attachment.

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Yori watched the interaction between the two friends with mixed feelings. She had thought that she had accepted the relationship between Kim and Ron as something that was fated to be, but she couldn't deny the ache in her heart at the easy cameraderie between the two friends. They had a history that could not be denied, and she wondered if she could ever find a place in Ron's heart for herself.

She was so caught up in her own misery that she had failed to realise that one member of Yamanouchi had remained behind. Despite no longer maintaining his concealment, Yori never noticed his presence, and only the touch of Makoto's hand on her shoulder brought her out of her reverie.

"Hanchou!" The assertment of her rank in the eyes of this experienced ninja soothed the insecurities that had plagued her self confidence for so long. This was a man that had faced down the entire Yamanouchi school purely on the basis of his trust in her judgement, she owed him so much She turned and smiled, drawing strength from the quiet competence of the older man.

"You saved us, sensei." the honourific caught her off guard. It wasn't her that had saved Yamanouchi, it was Team Go and Kim Possible that had removed the insidious influence of Toshimiru.

"Not I shougiin. It was the others who saved us." Yori waved an arm in the general direction of Team Possible and Team Go. "It is these outsiders that we have to thank.

"But you brought them." Makoto was insistant. "You brought them where and when they were needed. Noone else could have done that."

Yori reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand.

"I have you to thank for that." She pulled out the pendant that had arrived in the mail only a few days earlier. "Without this we would never have figured it out."

She beamed at her faithful team member, but the older man looked puzzled as he stared at the medallion.

"I don't understand." His eyes crinkled in bewilderment as he stared at the artifact held in his leader's hand.

"You sent us this luck charm," Yori wanted him to realise how pivotal he had been in saving their school from destruction. "It gave us the clue to where and when we had to be."

She looked at the pendant fondly. "Without it, we would never have even been here."

"I'm sorry sousui." Makoto continued to stare at the piece of jewellery in his squad leader's hand. " I didn't send this. I've never seen it before in my life!"

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When Kim and Ron finally separated, they both felt better about their altered relationship with each other. The black cloud that had hung over them was gone, melted away by the accumulated years of friendship that had built up since kindergarten.

Ron in particular felt a peace in his soul that he hadn't felt for a very long time. The bad guys were defeated; he and Kim were tight and everything was right in the world. Team Possible were together again, and that would never change.

"So" he said happily. "Where's Rufus?"


	18. Epilogue

The swirling mists of Mspace parted as the Lotus Blade cut its way through the fog. Ancient eyes watched its passage, acutely aware of the damage it was doing to the bonds that fixed the dimensions in place. An artifact of such power could not help but affect the surroundings it passed through, and ancient suns in unknown universes flamed and died as its passage created rents in Space-Time.

Despite the frustration, there was nothing the Bodhisattva could do. The very disruption currently being caused by its voyage through the interdimensional void was the reason the dimensional barriers had been weakened to allow the watcher to enter his reality in the first place. He was well aware that he simply had to reach out his hand and call the magic wishing staff, and it would return to his hand, but if he were to intervene now and prevent its passage, the temporal backlash could unmake the entire macro-universe. Paradoxes like this were one of the reasons the powers refrained from taking direct action; but for him it was already too late.

True, he had not intervened directly, but he had meddled in matters that should have been left alone. He was sure that Buddha would not approve, in fact if she ever found out what he had done, being buried under a mountain for five hundred years would be a picnic compared to the punishment she would impose, yet even after all this time he felt responsible. It was a dilemma he was ill suited to handle. He had always preferred direct action to subterfuge.

Raising his hand to his head, he pushed back the UPS cap he still wore, and scratched his head. Giving the Monkey Master a hint was no big deal in the scheme of things as far as he could see, but Buddha never seemed to understand his reasoning. Still, he took full responsibility for his actions, and he refused to stand by and do nothing. After all, he had wielded the Magic Wishing staff for many years and would not stand by and see it usurped to the cause of evil.

True, he could not take direct action, all he could do was the equivalent of throwing a pebble at the side of a mountain, bue he knew that even a pebble aimed at the right spot could trigger a landslide.

His attention was drawn away from the Lotus Blade as another object parted the interdimensional mists. Dragged along by the Wishing Staff, the stiff body of a naked mole rat trapped in suspended animation, trailed in its wake. This would not do. The Lotus Blade was travelling through time and space, its destination far in the past where it would lie buried for millenia until it was destined to be found. This animal was the pebble that would shake the foundations of worlds.

Unable to divert the passage of the Lotus Blade, the entity felt no such compunction with the molerat. Reaching under his shirt, he pulled a hair from his body, held it up to his mouth and blew. It didn't appear to do much, a slight disturbance in the maelstrom around the trapped animal being the only discernable effect, but it was enough to change the fate of worlds.

No longer caught in the wake of the Lotus Blade, Rufus cut his own path through the mists. The pebble had been cast, and only time would tell if it would hit the one place where it could have an effect or if any number of random events would deflect it away from the crucial time and place it needed to be.

With his bolt shot, the observer could do no more. He watched for a while as the molerat's passage diverted slightly from the fixed trajectory of the Lotus Blade, and was about to return to his own timeframe when he felt another presence in the mists. Frowning slightly, he focussed on the feeling and shifted his phase state until he found the source of this new observer.

His previous experience with wraiths led him to expect an undying hatred of life and a never-ending thirst for blood, but what he found was quite different. He materialised behind the redhead, but the only emotion he could feel was an aching sadness coupled with a fierce protective love.

His vision was no longer filled with the swirling maelstrom of Mspace. Instead he stood in an underground complex; more specifically, a small section that had been converted into a stark bedroom, with only a few sticks of furniture to identify its owner.

The ghost was unaware of his presence until he stepped up behind her. She turned startled as she suddenly realised she was no longer alone. There was no recognition in her eyes but when he showed no sign of attacking she relaxed somewhat and began to appraise him with an attitude that he found slightly disconcerting. Females of his own culture were rarely this brash.

"It takes a powerful reason to hold the spirit from the wheel." He didn't look directly at the phantom, but rather focussed on the sleeping figure in the physical reality the spirit had been observing. "She must be very special to make this non-life worth while."

"It hurts." The spirit admitted, acknowledging the strain she was under, constantly battling the seductive call of the wheel of life. " But it is nothing compared to what she is feeling."

The Bodhisattva turned his attention to the figure sleeping fitfully in the bed below. He could see the long black tresses spread out of the pillow, and the green tinged face pinched as if even sleep couldn't bring peace to the tormented soul.

"It's a dangerous game your playing." The Bodhisattva's comments were aimed at the spirit by his side, although he never took his eyes off the sleeping female. "She is bound to a fate that will expose her to powers that could prove especially harmful to one of your kind."

"I have no choice." The spirit was undeterred. "She would do as much and more for me." Megan sighed as she watched her friend's pain. "She was always the brave one. I just hope I can help her find some peace."

"You've already drawn attention to yourself." The Bodhisattva pressed the point. He needed to be sure she understood the risk she was running. "It knows you now, and your soul could be destroyed utterly. Are you sure she's worth the risk?"

Megan turned to face him, her eyes burning with an intensity that spoke volumes to the passion burning within. "Oh yes! Absolutely!"

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"Ron San! I'm back!" Yori let the back door swing shut as she hurried to place the bags of groceries on the kitchen unit before she dropped them. The house was dark, but that was nothing unusual these days.

She didn't get a reply, but she wasn't really expecting one. It was just one more problem she had to deal with, and the message from Yamanouchi was very clear. The Monkey Master needed to pull himself together and focus on the task in hand.

"Ron? You in here?" She walked out of the kitchen into the hallway, heading for the living room where she had last left him. As expected, Ron Stoppable hadn't moved. Sitting in the dark, an old shoe box containing a small dolls blanket on his lap, he didn't register Yori's entrance, even when she flipped the switch and flooded the room with light. His cheeks were stained with tears, although he had stopped crying hours ago. Instead he just sat, staring blankly at the TV, lost in his own sense of misery.

Yori frowned. This had gone on long enough. As Monkey Master, he had responsibilities, and it was up to her to snap him out of his catatonia. Slipping out of the lounge, she headed to her own room and changed.

Ron hadn't moved when she returned, he didn't even register that she was now wearing her school uniform of white blouse, blue skirt and ankle high socks. There wasn't even a reaction as she sat down beside him, even when she put an arm around his shoulder.

"Stoppable San." Her voice was gentle as she tried to coax him out of his misery. "Yamanouchi is doing everything they can to find Rufus."

The molerat's name at least triggered a reaction. He turned to look at her, his eyes tormented as he silently pleaded for her to give him the news that his pet had been found.

"He is the Chosen One. Guardian of the Lotus Blade. If we find it, we find Rufus."

It wasn't enough. He was trapped in a cycle of despair and Yori realised she would have to resort to more basic methods.

Her slender hands cupped the young man's cheeks and she looked him directly in the eye.

"I promise you, I will not stop until Rufus is found."

Leaning forward she kissed him full on the lips. Not chastely like his previous kisses with Kim had been but passionately, with an intensity that spoke directly to the baser nature of his psyche.

"Yori? I ..." He didn't get a chance to say any more.

Encouraged by his reaction, Yori kissed him again, and instinct took over. His hands reached up to pull her closer, wrapping his arms around her slim waist as his libido drove away all other considerations in his mind. No longer a passive recipient, he returned her kisses hungrily as his brain, seeking a release from the torrid agony of his loss, lost itself in the intimacy of their embrace.

Without breaking their kissing, Yori reached back with one arm and pulled his hand away from her waist. Ron didn't have time to register what she was doing before he found his hand touching another part of her anatomy. It took some moments before his befuddled brain realised that at some time during their kissing, she had unbuttoned her blouse and before he knew it, he found himself cupping her naked breast in his hand.

The feel of the soft pliable flesh beneath his touch sent a jolt of excitement to his groin, the brush of her engorged nipple stroking his palm nearly sending him over the edge. Some part of his being was telling him to pull back, that this was disrespectful, that he was crossing a line, but the teenage lust surging through his body drowned out any such thoughts.

As soon as Yori felt him relax, she shifted her attention to the rest of his body. While Ron experimented with this sudden escalation in his sexual experience, she began to traverse his body with her mouth, shifting away from kissing his mouth, to first his jaw, and then swiftly onto his neck.

Before Ron was fully aware of what was happening, he found himself struggling with the folds of his hockey shirt as it was swiftly drawn up over his head. Opening his eyes, he was just in time to see Yori drop his shirt to the floor, swiftly followed by her own white blouse.

The sight of his first semi naked woman was better than he could have ever imagined. Unable to speak, he just gazed in adoration at the perfection before his eyes. Small neat breasts jutted from her slim frame, her exquisite face framed by perfectly straight jet black hair, the sight simply took his breath away.

No longer restrained by his clothing, Yori's kisses progressed lower, tracing a burning trail down his chest with a brief detour to his exposed nipples.

"Unggh! Yori?"

His torso flexed under her relentless assault, the sensations almost too intense to bear, but the young woman didn't let up. Her kisses progressed down his chest, while her hands focused on the next target of her assault.

It was with some surprise that Ron felt his belt suddenly loosen. The deft fingers of his assailant had released the buckle before he had realised what was going on. True, the pressure in his Jeans was growing distinctly uncomfortable, but the realisation of how far she was apparently willing to go jerked him into action.

"Yori! I don't ..." Once more his hesitant interjection had no effect on the young woman. She had already unbuttoned his waistband and even as he was speaking, he felt the zip of his trousers release it's hold.

The sensation of cool fingers slipping under the band of his boxer shorts was nothing to the feeling as they wrapped themselves around his stiffened member. With a flex of her wrist, she exposed him fully and he finally lost all powers of speech.

"Unghh" his only comment as he looked down, his own gaze met by the mischievious grin of the young ninja. He thought that he was in heaven, but the sudden sensation of warmth and wetness that engulfed him blew his mind.

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Frozen in a splinter of time where the present meets the future, a trapped soul had been waiting for a thousand years to rejoin the wheel of life. Unaware of its surroundings, it never saw the crackling red flame that broke into its timeframe until the two forces merged with a silent explosion of psychic energy.

Pain was the first sensation it experienced, the first breath of life filling its lungs as the comforting darkness gave way to excruciating light. Cold was the next sensation, a cool breeze flowing over its body, a sharp contrast to the warm constant temperature it had experienced in the womb.

Eyes barely open, Toshimiru pushed himself to his feet. Wobbly as he struggled to gain control of his four feet, he instinctively headed for his mother's teat, whimpering as his larger brothers and sisters grabbed the prime spots, he finally settled with his mouth engorged by the large nipple and began to suckle.

The future held many trials, not least of which being how to handle the tail, but for now he was happy. As the runt of the litter, Toshimiru would have to learn a much needed lesson in humility, but his doggy awareness didn't think that far ahead. For now, a belly full of milk was good enough.

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Shego lay on her bed and cursed, she had been doing that a lot since she got back. Finding Dr Drakken actually back had been a highlight in a very depressing couple of days, and her erstwhile employer had been the main cause of her unhappiness.

It had started with a casual remark about the headaches she had been experiencing, and had led to hours of examinations while she sat with some kind of brain scan while he had huffed and tutted through his tests.

Apparently, whenever faced with a conflict between her old way of thinking and her modified brain waves due to the modulator, she had suffered excruciating migraines until one or other of the thought patterns had established itself as predominant. Looking back over some of the occasions that had triggered those headaches, Princess had featured far too often for her own comfort, and in too many occasions she had been in the role of Hero Protector. It was an existence she had thought she had left behind many years before. The thought that she could go back to that life was too horrible to contemplate.

True, Drakken had pointed out that her basic character wouldn't change, and true she had blasted him after one too many probing questions into her relationship with her brothers, but there was a nagging sensation in the back of her mind that something had altered inside her, and it wasn't necessarily a change she would welcome.

Now, alone in her private quarters, the door double locked to prevent any intrusion, she indulged in one of her guilty secrets.

_"I just wanted to see if you were OK. Your mother . . ."_

If Drakken ever caught her watching this she would never live it down, especially after the ribbing she had given him when he first raved on about the show, but curiosity had got the better of her and she quickly became a closet fan. Besides, this guy was hot.

_"We're both good. You?"_

Whenever Shego felt down, she liked to watch it, especially this episode which promised so much even though she knew the shitstorm the writers were going to put the main characters through. When she was at her most maudlin, this was the scene she loved the best.

_"If I can go a while without getting shot or stabbed, I'll be alright."_

Watching a couple with even bigger life issues than her own always made her feel a little better, even if only for a while.

_"Look! This can't ..."_

_".. ever be anything. I Know"_

Shego wiped the back of her hand across her eye, rubbing a watery eye as she struggled to hold off the feeling of melancholy. Not wanting to admit even to herself how much her life sucked right now.

_"For one thing, you're like two hundred and twenty four years older than I am."_

Somehow, the knowledge of what these two were going to be put through made the whole scene even more poignant and for a while, safely secluded from any watchful eye, the hardnosed mercenary allowed herself to let down the emotional barriers she had wrapped around her heart.

_"I just gotta . . . I gotta walk away from this."_

"Yeah right." Shego's thought was accompanied by a cynical snort at that line. Deep down she wished life could be like the movies sometimes. At times like these, she ached for a soulmate with whom she could share her most intimate thoughts and feelings. These two had what she secretly wanted but even that wouldn't be enough. They were doomed from the start and that knowledge fitted well with the feeling that her life was similarly fated to be filled with disappointment and pain.

_"I know. Me too."_

The girl on the screen gazed longingly into her partners eyes which drew a hurriedly stifled sniff from the watching thief. Unnoticed, a single tear formed in her eye until it was angrily blinked away.

_"One of us has to go here."_

_"Yeah!"_

As the scene reached its denouement, a black pit of misery erupted in Shego's soul, the tensions and missed life opportunities that had been suppressed for so long, and brutally exposed over the past few weeks, finally broke through the barriers she had wrapped around her heart, the internal pressure too much for her to contain.

As the couple on screen moved in for their kiss, Shego lost the battle to contain her own tears and sobbed bitterly at the shrivelled emptiness of her own life. For now, nothing mattered except the vaccuum that existed in her deepest being. A void that had been their ever since that fateful day in Go City when Megan died.

Briefly overwhelmed, she just lay back on her bed and wept, the final shot of a cross burned into the man's chest as his true love walked away just seemed to sum up her own despair. as the title music played, she broke down completely and buried her head in her pillow while she wallowed in self pity.

When she had finally cried herself out, she lay still for a while as the last vestiges of extreme emotion relinquished their hold on her heart. Once more under control, she pushed all those dark feelings back down to the deepest recesses of her soul, once more sealing them off behind walls of denial.

There was only one thing to do in these situations, one place where she could recover her poise and resume her lifestyle of choice. It was time for a holiday, where she could clear her head and forget about all the difficulties her complicated life tended to raise.

Quickly packing her bag, she slipped out of her rooms and headed for the hangar, hoping she didn't run into that idiot Drakken. She didn't feel quite able to face his buffoonery in her still somewhat fragile state of mind.

Phone clamped to her ear as she made final preparations, she left the lair unnoticed by anyone.

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The room was still dark when Yori slipped out from under the duvet, careful not to disturb the sleeping figure beside her. The cool night air was cold on her naked body as she padded silently towards the bedroom door.

A murmur from the man she was leaving behind made her freeze and look back, hoping that he wouldn't wake and start asking difficult questions, but he just rolled over and resumed his slumber.

The sight of the toussled blond haire gave her pause for thought. She had been in active service with Yamanouchi since the age of fifteen, mainly on espionage missions, and she had quickly learned that as an attractive young woman she had an easy way of breaking down the reservations of older, powerful men.

Sex was nothing new to her, just a tool to achieve her aims, but the last few hours had been a totally new experience. Maybe it was his hesitant nervousness, or his amateurish attempts at lovemaking, but whatever it was, Ron had touched her in a way she had never felt before. the sheer sincerity of his feelings for her had transcended the whole sexual act to a level of intimacy that was new to her, and for a moment she balked at leaving his side.

Duty came first, however, and the demands of the Yamanouchi overrode all other considerations. Closing the door behind her, she left Ron sleeping in his parents bed and slipped into her own room.

Quickly dressing in the traditional shinobi shozoku, she took some extra time as she equipped herself fully for the task ahead. Finally satisfied, she opened a window and silently slipped out of the house.

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Dr Drakken fidgeted nervously as he sat in the green room of the TV studio. For months now, he had hungrily grabbed every offer to appear in front of any audience he could find until they all blurred into one. It had got to the point where he wasn't actually sure what show he was appearing on and it worried him. He could hear the noise of the audience even back here, and they were getting louder.

A sharp knock on the door made him jump, but it was only one of the production crew.

"Dr Drakken? It's time."

Drakken swallowed nervously as he stood up and smoothed down his trademark blue suit. As he followed the young man out of the room, he was hit by the sudden increase in noise. Heading down the corridor, he could feel the sweat beading on his forehead and palms were clammy, while the noise grew steadily larger.

"Je...rry, Je...rry, Je...rry"

He could hear the words now, and it worried him. This wasn't the serious scientific debate shows he had started out with, it sounded more like a bear pit. What the hell had he got himself into?

Standing in the wings, he suddenly got an urge to run, but he was surrounded by some very large minders, and he suddenly felt the missing familiar presence of Shego. The thought of his lieutenant, brought a sudden rush of homesickness flooding through him, but he had no time for nostalgia. He was propelled out from the safety of the wings, stumbling into the glaring lights of the stage.

The wave of noise hit him like a tsunami, and with the added disorientating effects of the studio lights dazzling him, it took several moments to realise that he was being booed. He took a tentative step backwards only to find his escape blocked off by one of the burly bouncers that had been shadowing him all day.

In front of him were four chairs arranged in a shallow arc, facing the audience, while standing slightly off stage was a medium height man with blond hair and glasses. Thinking he should recognise him from somewhere, he found himself being directed none to gently to sit in one of the chairs, a firm arm on his elbow giving him no chance to resist. He barely registered the the two people already seated, one a young girl with a rabbit caught in the headlights of a bus look on her face, the other a hard faced older woman, presumably her mother.

"Dr Drakken." The blonde haired man paused for dramatic effect. "Last years winner of the Nobel Peace Prize!" He paused for a moment for dramatic effect, the crowd hanging on his every word. "But you haven't always been such an upstanding member of society. Have you?"

"Well actually no." Drakken grinned evilly at this recognition of his earlier notoriety. It was nice to finally get recognition for all those years of hard work. Up to now, the media had treated him as if he had done nothing of note prior to the Lowardian invasion.

"For several years, I was top of Global Justice's league of supervillains." He acknowledged the boos of the audience as if they were an accolade. He could recognise theatre when he saw it, and this man was obviously playing to the crowd. It would make great television.

"You regularly threatened the world with no thought for the innocent people you put in danger!" Even this didn't come across too forcefully. The presenters voice was too level and reasonable, as if he were merely a historian of events. The crowd were not so restrained, their cries of disapproval grew louder as Drakken totally failed to show the expected level of remorse for his crimes.

"Well, it's all part of the job description." Drakken flippantly dismissed the accusation with a shrug. "I mean I could hardly be a villain without threats could I?" He bared his teeth in his trademark grin.

"And your own people?" the presenter queried. "Did you not care about them either?"

Drakken's face fell at this slur. If there was one thing he took pride in, it was the care he had lavished on his henchmen, despite their regular failures to prevent his plans from being ruined by a certain redhead.

"I always look after my staff!" He was actually quivering with rage at the insult. He wasn't sure what this man was playing at, but he wasn't going to stand by and be slandered by anyone.

"You're a criminal!" The blonde man scoffed at Drakken's puffed up sense of outrage. "You expect us to believe that you give a damn about anyone?" The boos from the crowd grew louder as he whipped up the already charged atmosphere in the studio.

"Was a criminal." Drakken snapped back. The response was automatic, the hostility eminating from the crowd was effective even against Drakken's legendary self importance. He lifted the medal that hung around his neck and waved it to the crowd. The cold metal of his nobel prize was cool against his palm and he felt some of his self confidence return. "I was pardoned remember."

"Yes! Yes! A wanted villain who saved the world, we know all about that."

Drakken frowned. What was this man after. He could see there was some hidden undertone here, and he waited warily for it to become apparent. Whatever was going on, it was obvious that the crowd had been wound up to a frenzy of emotion leaving them wide open to manipulation, and it was obvious that this man was an expert.

"I'm talking about your blatent disregard for your responsibilities."

Drakken blinked. Responsibilities? What was this idiot on about.

His blank look didn't go down well with the audience. A new wave of booing broke out as they took umbrage at his lack of instant remorse, leaving the bemused doctor looking around him for any explanation about what was going on.

He found himself looking at the two other people up on the stage with him, the woman glaring while the young girl flinched as the noise levels rose. Were they something to do with this? He certainly didn't recognise either of them.

The TV host let the crowd vent their anger for a few seconds before motioning for them to settle down. He didn't want to lose control, that wouldn't make good television.

"Your responsibilities to these two poor innocent victims of your organisation's failure to live up to the most basic of employee rights."

Drakken looked once more at the woman and young girl sitting on the stage. "They've never worked for me! Why would I hire a child?"

"But you did hire her father!" Anger finally found its way into the presenters voice. "And now they are left bereft because of your callous disregard for the people who work in your organisation."

Drakken still didn't have a clue what he was going on about.

"The name Robert Brinkley mean anything at all to you?" The presenter couldn't believe that the blue man could be so callous. The man had died.

"Bob?" Drakken queried. Losing one of his men had been a savage blow, and he didn't appreciate being reminded of that painful experience. He also didn't see what his ex-employee had to do with this circus. He was starting to get angry. "Of course I remember Bob."

"But did you ever give a thought for his family?" The presenter was warming to his theme now. All the participants were where he wanted them, it was time to go in for the kill. "His wife and child left without any support now their husband and father was lost? Don't you think you owe them for the dedicated service he gave you over the years?"

"But I have!" The upset look on the blue man's face gave everyone pause for thought. He genuinely looked upset at the accusation. "I've personally paid for his partner to have counselling, and he has a pension for life. It's all part of the employee package."

There was a pause as everyone digested this outburst. Only the woman sitting on the stage showed any reaction as a flicker of fear showed on her face.

"I'm sorry." The presenter realised that he had lost the momentum, but that wasn't what was bothering him. "He has a pension?"

"Yes!" Drakken snapped having finally lost patience with this farce. "Bob was gay!"

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Dr Dementor muttered to himself in German as he fumbled his way through the darkened lair. It was an old base, long abandoned, but it still retained a few interesting pieces of machinery which he could use to get his revenge.

It took a while for the shut down powerplant to fire up again, and he didn't have enough energy to power the whole base, but he didn't need to. Directing all the available energy to the pulse laser, he stood over the console punching in coordinates as he planned his revenge.

"Secret Ninja School? Hah!" His voice echoed resoundingly in the empty lair, he only had one volume setting and that was loud.

He was just finishing his preparations when some sixth sense at the edge of his perception warned him of something that wasn't right. Suddenly aware that he was alone, he looked back over his shoulder, fear clutching at his heart as his imagination ran riot.

The lair was dark, the only light coming from the glowing lights of the console he was working on. Minutes passed as he listened intently for any clue as to what had unnerved him, until even his paranoia had to admit that he was imagining things.

Sighing at his own jitteriness he turned back to the controls and prepared to fire the weapon that would irradicate the Yamanouchi school forever.

The sting in his neck caused his hand to slap at the spot unconsciously, but the toxin flowing through his veins already meant his motor functions were already impaired. He clutched at the console as his legs gave way, unable to stop himself from collapsing to the floor as his arms failed in their futile efforts to keep him upright.

Falling to the floor, his limbs quickly lost all feeling as he rolled onto his back, his chest tightening as the paralysis quickly spread to his torso, lungs briefly labouring to force oxygen into his chest until they too succumbed to the disabling effects of the poison.

Mouth open, gasping for the breath that never came, his last sight was of black boots, split at the big toe, stepping out of the darkness and standing by his side.

Yori watched the man die impassionately. She had no qualms about killing this man, he was a known threat to her school and judging by the hardware he had been working on, she had got here none too soon.

As the tin headed man finally stopped thrashing about, she bent down and retrieved the pin that was still stuck in his neck. The blowpipe she had used to dispatch it was tucked into her belt, and she paused as she contemplated the small brass dart that lay in her hand.

Her mind flashed back to the last time she had held it in her hand, as she had contemplated using the same poison on Rufus. Only the intervention of his second vision before she had a chance to use it had saved his life and, as she could now acknowledge, save the Yamanouchi.

She tucked it back into her belt digitalis and other chemicals would need renewing but that could wait until she got home. With luck she could be back in bed with Ron before he woke up. All in all it would be better if he didn't know about this.

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For the first time in weeks, Kim was free of the relentless burden of guilt that had weighed her down for so long. Drakken's expose of Robert Brinkley's sexual preferences had swept the media village like wildfire as his ex-wife's story melted under the full on glare of media investigation. If there was one thing the media couldn't resist, it was a new angle on an existing story, and Drakken had delivered in spades. Investigative reporters scented blood and began to carry out the due diligence they should have done from the start. It was a rich seam that quickly revealed sensational results. Apparently, the child wasn't even his.

The revelation from her parents that they had been approached by the Brinkley woman's lawyer with an offer to drop everything for a payment of $50,000 exposed the scam for what it was. Just a sordid attempt to extort money from the rich and famous.

Wade kept her well up to date with the backlash that was sweeping the news channels, and there were a couple of days where the reporters were once more camped on her front lawn, or at least hiding in the bushes, until Global Justice finally came through. A few harsh words from Dr Director to the editors of various news channels and newspapers was enough and the paparazzi quickly discovered that there was no market for their pictures and they moved on to easier targets.

Without the constant harrassment, she was free to relax and let her mind wander.

The warm sun on her back as she reclined on the lounger was heaven after so many months of pain and worry. With no sound except for the distant sound of waves breaking on the beach and the occasional raucous cacophony of parrots in the trees, she smiled in pleasure even though her eyes were closed as she bathed in the delicious heat.

Clad only in a white bikini, it exposed every possible inch of skin to the heat without quite crossing over the line of indecency. She would never have dared to wear something so revealing normally, but here it seemed right. After all, there was only one other person on the whole island.

"I thought you redheads burned easily."

Shego's sardonic tone did nothing to shake Kim from her lazy state of drowsiness. She just shrugged her shoulders and shifted her position slightly.

"You haven't even used any sunscreen."

Kim's lips curved into a smile as she imagined the older thief's disapproving look, not bothering to open her eyes to check. Honestly, for an anarchist supervillain, she sometimes sounded like a bossy older sister.

The sudden shock of cold liquid between her shoulders could not be ignored however.

"Gaahh!" Kim jerked up briefly before being pushed back down onto the lounger by her companion. Kim relaxed once more as she let her companion spread the protective lotion over her upper back. Strong hands rubbed over her exposed skin, and Kim soon settled down to enjoy the sensation as delicate fingers worked the sunblock into every inch of exposed skin.

Once her shoulders were well protected, Kim felt Shego's hands move further down her back, fingers pressing into her spine as they kneaded out knots in her muscles. There was a brief hiatus as the string of her bikini top hampered the even application of the sun lotion, but before Kim could register what was going on, she felt a swift tug on the bow and problem solved.

With that impediment removed, Kim felt the rhythm of Shego's hands change as they switched to a more sedate pace, starting at her lower back and pushing up towards her shoulders and neck in long steady strokes.

Kim groaned with pleasure as she enjoyed the impromptu massage, especially when the focus switched back to her shoulders, the tension of the past few weeks melting away under the expert ministrations of the experienced thief.

"Sit up." The words sent shivers through her body as the soft breath brushed against her ear. Without thinking, the cheerleader complied, forgetting too late that her bikini top was no longer fastened. The thin scrap of material fluttered to the floor as she shifted her position, but neither woman took any notice. After all, it was just the two of them on this island and Kim reckoned that if Shego wasn't bothered, she certainly wasn't going to make an issue of it.

Anyway, all such worries melted away as she lost herself in the delicious sensations of the shiatsu massage she was being given.

"Mmm yeah." Kim's moan of pleasure elicited a throaty chuckle from the woman behind her. Kim was rapidly losing any resistance as she melted under her touch. Unwilling to expend energy sitting up, she slumped back into the arms of her masseuse.

"You like that Kimmie?" Kim's heart skipped a beat as the dusky voice purred in her ear. She could feel the older woman's breasts pressing on her back, and her body was starting to react in unexpected ways to the treatment it was receiving.

Her mind flashed back to the last time Shego had touched her so intimately, remembering the powerful sensations she had experienced under Yamanouchi mountain. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to retain control, but her composure was shattered when the thief's tongue wrapped itself around her right earlobe, and she moaned in delight as the tingling sensations surged through her body.

Kim instinctively tilted her head away from her tormentor, thought whether it was an attempt to disengage or exposing herself to more of the same she couldn't say. Whatever the reason, she found herself gasping for air as those tender lips roamed freely over the sensative skin around her neck and jaw-line. Lost in the moment, Kim couldn't suppress another moan as strong arms wrapped themselves around her body. Slick fingers slipped over her exposed breasts, her engorged nipples stimulated further as the soft palms brushed against them.

No longer able to resist her urges, she turned her head to face the older woman. Eyes heavy lidded and her mouth partially open, she found herself caught up in a lascivious kiss. Dark stained lips latched onto her own and she responded hungrily, her own arms wrapping themselves around the green woman's shoulders as the two of them melted into each other's embrace.

Kim found herself swept up in the moment, the stronger woman almost picking her up as she found herself turned around on the sun lounger and pressed back into the seat cushions. A frisson of excitement surged through her mind as she looked up into those green eyes. Naked lust exuded from her every pore and her slim arms reached up and pulled her green goddess down into another passionate kiss.

The teenager lost all sense of time as she gave in to her own wanton desires. The first time Shego's tongue probed at her lips, she eagerly sucked it into her hungry mouth. Her first french kiss and she was eager to taste more, but the older woman had other ideas.

Kim protested when the thief broke contact, but only for a moment as the older woman transferred her attentions once more to the delicate skin at Kim's throat. Shivering under her touch, Kim arched back her head to give greater access but Shego had already moved to her collarbone. Feathery kisses caused her skin to burn with desire and she reached her arm back over her head, allowing her raven haired temptress to transfer her attentions to the delicate skin of her armpit.

Kim gasped once more as her left breast was cupped by the thief's slim fingers, but that was nothing to the sensations as her right nipple was suddenly engulfed in the soft wet mouth of her lover.

The word burned in her brain, raising her already aroused state to an even higher level.

Her Lover.

It was a description she had never laid on anyone before, not Josh, not Eric and definitely not Ron, but with Shego it seemed so right. A frisson of excitement sent a shiver through her body at the acknowledgement of her situation, that only served to heighten her arousal.

A barely suppressed moan escaped her lips as her already hyper-sensative skin was further stimulated by fierce kisses as Shego slowly worked her way down her body. Her stomach, taut and firm after years of conditioning burned as nerve endings sparked under the sensuous assault.

No longer in complete control, Kim writhed under the assault, her thighs pressed hard and slowly rubbing together as she subconsciously sought some level of release but there was no relief, only an ever increasing level of delirium that left her panting in a frenzy of lust.

The swirl of a tongue in her navel elicited another gasp, and she never noticed the swift tug on the spaghetti ties on her hips that were all that held her bikini briefs in place.

Shego's chin was now gently rubbing itself on the skimpy scrap of fabric that was all that covered her nakedness, the material moving slightly now that it was no longer fastened and Kim could feel the friction on her pubic area. Her neatly trimmed bush prickled slightly under the pressure and an electrifying jolt of pleasure shot through her body.

One brush of long slender fingers, and Kim was fully exposed; the hot breath on her groin highlighting the wetness between her legs as she waited, hardly able to breathe, for the touch she craved. A touch that never came as Shego's attentions shifted to her inner thigh.

Whimpering constantly now, she could stand no more. Her raven haired tormentor was pointedly skirting around her sex, deliberately holding back on giving Kim the release she so wanted so badly. As Shego's kisses started to move back up her body towards her stomach, Kim moved her hands down to rest on the green woman's head, pushing it to where she needed it to go, her surrender complete as she let her knees fall away, opening herself up completely to her paramour.

A throaty chuckle was all she heard before her world exploded in ecstasy. As soon as she felt the soft sensation of a tongue on her clitoris, her body arched up from the lounger and she opened her mouth in a silent scream.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The loud knocking on her bedroom door jerked her out of her fantasy even as her orgasm wracked her frame.

"Kim! Time to get up or you'll miss your plane."

" 'Kay!" Kim managed to barely croak a reply as her hand, thrust under the waistband of her pyjama's, continued to frig while the waves of pleasure surged through her body, barely registering her father heading back down the stairs while she rode the most intense sensation of her life so far.

Slowly the ferocity of her pleasure lessened, and she slumped back onto her pillow, her fingers still gently stroking her vagina, now slick with her own fluids. As she slowly regained the power of rational thought, her free hand moved up to rest on her brow as she faced up to what she had just done.

"Oh God! That was so wrong!"


End file.
